On the High Seas
by Waterbird72
Summary: Annabeth is a pirate with an unknown past. She meets a strange man, Percy, at a pub and, well, I can't spoil it for you, but there's lot of action and death and bada** Annabeth. Rated T for minor violence, language, drinking, and love-y bits.
1. Chapter 1

**New story! Hope you like it! I wrote this at 2am while high on caffeine so there may be spelling errors and such. I have a plan for this, though, and I think it's going to be great. Updates may not be very often since AP courses are death, but I'm really going to try with this. P** **LEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. EVEN IF IT'S JUST "I LIKE IT" OR "IT SUCKS". GIVE ME SOMETHING!**

 **I don't own PJO/HoO, just the plot of this story.**

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Once upon a time. What a stupid way to start a story. I threw the book on the floor and rolled over onto my stomach, pressing my face into my pillow. A knock sounded at the door and I grunted in reply. The door swung open with a loud creak. It would probably be a good idea to oil those hinges.

"Captain. First mate requesting entrance," said a voice.

"Quit the formalities and get in here, Piper," I said, turning onto my left side to look at my friend. She broke into a grin and stepped into the room, coming over to sit on my bed. I stood and walked over to my desk, which was littered in maps and plans. "What's going on, Piper?" I asked, looking at her as I traced the outline of a map with my finger.

"We're nearing shore, Annabeth. Beckendorf asked me to tell you. The crew is asking for a few nights out on the town. We've been sailing for a while now, and it'd be nice to stop and stretch for a bit. Plus, you need to relax. You're going to get wrinkles," she finished with a smile.

"Then I'll get wrinkles. Maybe then I'll get some respect from someone other than my crew," I snarked, tracing a line on the map with my compass.

"This is what I'm talking about. You need to loosen up, Annabeth. We've had nothing but victories and it's time to celebrate. We're filled to the brim with gold. We can afford a couple nights of fun."

"Hmph. We'll stay in town for 7 nights. Give everyone in the crew one of these and tell them they can stuff it with gold from the treasury. Everything they can fit in here is theirs to spend," I said, handing Piper a box of pouches. She saluted and left the room.

From inside, I could hear the crew barking orders at each other as they steered my beautiful ship, Athina, into the docks. Then cheering and scrambling as they get their pouches and attempt to reach the gold at the same time. Running a hand down my face, I pull my blond hair into a low ponytail with a grey ribbon and pull a coat on over my white shirt. Sure, pirates may be outlaws, but that doesn't mean we have to look like it.

I pushed open the door and found my crew looking expectantly back at me. I loved my crew to bits. They were loyal, honest (for a pirate), and they respected me as their captain. Malcolm, who helps me navigate, Beckendorf, in charge of keeping Athina in shape, Connor and Travis, scouts and well, entertainment, Lee Fletcher, our doctor. We're a small but close group.

"Alright crew! You've all been doing good work for these past few months and we're full of gold. We're staying for a week, so don't get too drunk and don't get anyone pregnant. Now go before I make you scrub the decks!" I said, laughing. They all laughed and hurried off the boat, eager to empty to their pockets. Piper was the only one left and grabbed my arm.

"I'm not letting you lock yourself away on this boat. No one is going to recognize you. We're leagues away from home. Come on. Have a few pints. You could do with a bit of whiskey in you, you know," she said, pulling me down the steps and then pushing them back up onto the ship. We stopped to pay the man running the docks and then Piper led me to huge pub in the middle of the town. "Go. Have fun. I'm going to go see if I can get me a couple free drinks. Maybe a dress. I'll come meet you later." And with that, she was gone.

I took a breath and pushed open the wooden door. The place was full of unshaven men and smelled of a mix between rotten breath, vomit, and that time no one empty the chamber pots for a week. I found an empty seat at the bar and waved down the bartender.

"Scotch," I ordered. He nodded and filled a glass before sliding it to me. I drank it in one swig and heard a whistle behind me. I turned to find a group of drunk men looking at me and laughing.

"Something funny, boys?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. One of them came over to me and stood in front of me.

"Little lady thinks she can drink," he laughed, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Leave me alone or I will hurt you," I said coldly. He just laughed and proceeded to put his hand on my waist.

"What's a girl like you going to do? Punch me? I'd like to see you try," he said, laughing loudly. With that, I took the opportunity to swing my arm back and punch right in the nose with one hand. He immediately took his hands off me to cover his bleeding and probably broken nose. I swung my other fist at his head and watched as he fell to the floor, out cold.

I turned back around and looked at the bartender to see if he would throw me out. He shrugged and filled up my glass. "You did warn him and he was literally asking you to punch him. Nothing wrong in that. I'll get you some ice for that hand," he said. I tried to tell him I'd be fine, but he was already gone.

"Well. That's certainly not something you see everyday," I heard a cocky voice say. I turned to see the man sitting to my left looking down at me. Compared to the others in the pub, and most men I had to deal with, he wasn't hard on the eyes. Smooth tanned skin, ruffled black hair, sea-green eyes (although really you can only find that green in certain seas).

"What? A man harassing a girl?" I asked.

"No. A girl fighting back," he answered. I almost liked him until - "Most girls I know just go along with it, or are too scared or weak to do anything." And suddenly, I hated him. "Say, are you really going to drink that? Scotch seems a bit strong for you."

I looked him in the eye and, never breaking eye contact, picked up the glass and drank the whole thing at once without flinching. He grinned.

"Nice. Drinking challenge?" he asked. I nodded and we proceeded to down glass after glass and although I usually win these easily, alcohol didn't seem to have any effect on this guy. It must have been the early hours of the morning when my vision started to darken and I shut my eyes.

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 **REVIEW THIS PLEASE. I NEED TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE READ MY STUFF. I'M SO LONELY. Love you all to bits. See you next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A shortish chapter for you lovelies. Thank you so much to those who reviewed and favorited. I love you most of all. Please check out the poll on my profile thing. It's important to the story.**

 **I don't own PJO/HoO.**

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I woke to water slowly dripping on my forehead. My eyes opened slowly and my vision cleared a bit. Letting out a groan, I covered my face with the pillow and rolled to my left, hitting a body. Wait.

I sat up quickly and then held my head in my hands for a few minutes while the dizziness subsided. Once the pounding in my head lessened, I looked over and found the same man from last night sitting on the bed next to me, holding a water dropper. He grinned and put the dropper on the side table, picking up a glass of water. He handed me the water and I stared at it curiously.

"What's in it?" I asked.

"Water and some concoction from the pharmacy. It's supposed to help your hangover," he said. I took a small sip, not entirely trusting this man in front of me. It tasted the same as my usual hangover cure and drank it all, putting the glass on the floor when I finished.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"What? No thank you for your savior?" he said cheekily. I swatted his arm.

"Thanks. Now where am I?"

"You're in one of the rooms above the pub. I brought you up here. No one else came in. It's my room, really," he said, running a hand through his already messy hair. I stay quiet looking down at the nightgown I'm wearing and then back up at him. "Oh yeah. I figured you'd be uncomfortable sleeping in that outfit, so I had a maid change you into that. You don't have to worry. It's clean. It's, ah, my mother's actually. It was her favorite. But, um, you're fine. I didn't do anything to you. I, uh, don't do that," he rambled, looking away, but not fast enough that I couldn't glimpse the growing blush on his face.

"Well, thank you. I'll get dressed now and be out of your hair. It's a nice nightgown. I can see why your mother liked it," I said, suddenly feeling a little sorry for the person in front of me. The arrogant and, frankly, misogynistic douchebag from last night had disappeared and in his place was a kind man who respected women and seemed to be missing his mother. He pointed to the pile that was my clothes and left the room so I could change.

Everything was there, including all my weapons. I wondered what the maid thought when she changed me. Hope I didn't give her a heart attack. I opened the door after I'd finished and let the man back in.

"So you're leaving now?" he asked. I could have sworn there was some sadness in there, but I shook it off.

"Yes. My group is waiting for me and there probably very worried about me by now. I'm not a big partier," I answered.

"Well, I never would have guessed from how much you drank last night," he joked.

"Yeah. I'm not really a lightweight. What about you? I don't remember you getting drunk at all," I said, leaning against the doorframe. He moved to sit on the bed.

"I've been at it for a while. You grow a bit of a tolerance. I never asked your name," he said, changing the subject. Not wanting to go any deeper, I followed along and answered his question.

"Anthea," I answered. I may have been far from home, but word travels fast, and I wasn't about to risk giving out my real name to man I'd only just met.

"Anthea. Nice name. Doesn't quite suit you, but I guess you make it work. I'm Percy, by the way," he said. I looked out the window and saw that it was almost noon.

"Well, Percy. It was nice to meet you and thank you again for everything. Other than getting me horridly drunk. But I should really go find my friends before they send out a search party," I said, turning to leave. He got up and waved, before closing the door behind me.

I left the pub and entered a small general store. I grabbed a sandwich and went up to pay. As the clerk took my money I asked him what the biggest statue was in the town and where I could find it. He gave me directions and I followed them to find a 10 meter statue of Poseidon in the middle of the town square.

I circled the statue twice before spotting a flyer for PC Inn and Casino on the ground under a rock. I went to the address listed on the flyer and found Piper sitting a table with the rest of the crew. She stood as soon as I entered.

"Hey, Piper," I said once I reached the table. She wrapped me up in a hug. Then she punched me. In the stomach.

"I don't care if you're the captain. You don't just disappear like that! When you weren't at the pub in the morning, I gathered the whole crew and followed procedure and we've been waiting here for hours and we didn't where you were and god, Annabeth, we've been so worried," Piper said. I gave her a mix between a glare and a smile.

"Well I'm sorry to have worried you. But I was fine. I just got too drunk and had to be put in a bedroom. You guys can go have fun again. I swear I won't disappear again. Pirate's honor," I said, placing a hand over my heart. The crew laughed and went on their way.

The rest of the week passed uneventfully. I traded a lot of our stolen goods for necessities and avoided the alcohol for the most part. Just a beer every now and then. Girl's gotta have something.

I was sitting in my office, making plans for our next expedition when there was a knock on the door. It was our last day and the sun had just started to set. I yelled a "Come in!" and the door opened. Beckendorf entered. His first name was Charles, but no one called him that.

"What's up, Beckendorf? Everything okay?" I asked as he shut the door behind him.

"Captain. There's something I'd like to talk to you about." He shifted from one leg to another nervously. I put my pen down and sat up, folding my hands on the table. "There's this girl. She needed to get to another town and she didn't have any money and she's so nice that - "

"She's on this ship," I interrupted. Beckendorf's silence was all the confirmation I needed. "I trust you Beckendorf. I do. And I'm sure you checked that she's clean. If you're one hundred percent sure that she's not a threat and only traveling to a close by city, then bring her in." He turned to leave when I said, "And make sure you don't get too attached." He nodded and opened the door to allow a young woman to enter.

She was small and slight, dressed in a plain commoner's dress. For a poor girl, she sure knew how to look good. Her dark hair fell in perfect waves and her bright eyes glittered in the twinkling light of the setting sun. I could see why Beckendorf was so keen to help her.

"Where are you going, girl?" I asked, standing up in order to appear more intimidating. She didn't shrink, looking me in the eye as she spoke.

"I'm headed south to the town of Aphrodisias. My mother is sick and I want to be with her. I'm her last living family. I'm new to this town and I have no money to pay for a ship," she said. I studied her and then sat back down, looking back at my papers.

"Aphrodisias is only a few days journey from here. Fine. We'll take you. Beckendorf, show her to one of the extra rooms," I said, waving them away. Without looking up I could tell Beckendorf was sporting a huge grin. The door shut and I was left in peace.

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 **Well that's it. Check out the poll and vote. I'm letting you guys decide part of the next chapter! Hopefully that will be up this weekend. I'll try. Love you all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this took so long! I was asked to stretch out the story a little bit, so it might take me a little bit longer to upload. Sorry if the plot felt like it was going too fast! The story hasn't even really hit the actual plot yet. Well, it has now. Anyway, enjoy the story and be sure to review! I love knowing what you think! Love you all to pieces.**

 **I don't own PJO/HoO.**

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For the third time that day, I heard the awful sound of retching from behind my closed door. Sighing, I walked up onto the main deck and found Silena leaning over the railing of the ship as Beckendorf held back her hair. I could see him whispering to her and rubbing her back. I watched them for a moment before turning to head back into my quarters.

I rummaged through my drawer before finding what I was looking for and exiting back to the main deck. I walked over to the pair and gently pried Beckendorf away from the girl.

"Here. Take this. One spoon per day should do the trick. I don't usually give out seasickness medicine to passengers, so consider yourself special. Then again, we don't usually get passengers," I said, holding out a small bottle of clear liquid. She studied the bottle and then took it from my hands.

"Thank you, Captain. I greatly appreciate it," she said. She disappeared down to the lower deck while Beckendorf went to continue on his repair check. I stood over the railing and watched the ocean. There really was nothing like it. The feeling of being out on the open sea. I took in a deep breath and sighed.

Suddenly I was jerked off my feet and laying on my back, facing the blue, blue sky. Someone rushed over to me and grabbed my arm, helping me up. I looked around and saw the rest of the crew also attempting to get back on their feet. Piper let go of my arm and ran to the others, making sure they were okay, too.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to find the source of the shaking.

"The main mast is broken! The support beam down here is cracked. It's the one that supports most of the ship! The ship's not going to last much longer. We need to dock the ship so I can repair it. I don't have the supplies with me here. I can use some of this stuff down here, but that only buys us a day or so," Beckendorf yelled from the lower deck. I massaged my forehead with two fingers while I traced our path in my head.

"Cyrillus. We could probably make it there in time. Stolls! Steer east! I want us at top speed. Free all the sails! Athina is at stake!" I ordered. The brothers climbed down and headed to the wheel. As soon as the shaking lessened, I grabbed my telescope and climbed up the nets to the scout's nest. I'd have to be lookout while the Stolls were steering.

It had been so long since I'd been up here. Usually the newbies get assigned to the scout's nest, but it really is my favorite place on the whole ship. The salty breeze blew my hair back, although a few strands did land in my face. I could see the ocean around us for what seemed like miles. The sky was just cloudy enough that I could use the sun for navigation but stay in the shade all the same.

Through my telescope, I could see tiny buildings, no bigger than ants, in the distance. I shouted down the crew and knew that Beckendorf was sighing with relief. Slowly the ants became mice, then cats, then people, and then big enough that I had to climb back down to the main deck and help the crew dock the ship. Once the ship was settled and Beckendorf had run off to get the supplies, Piper came up to me and asked if we could talk in my office.

"What's wrong, Piper?" I asked. She chewed her bottom lip, the way she does when she's nervous, before sitting down on my bed and looking up at me.

"It's Silena," she said.

"What about her? Is she okay?" I asked, perching on the edge of my desk.

"It's probably nothing. I'm probably just paranoid. I mean, we've been the only girls on this ship since forever," she rambled, looking out my window.

"Piper," I chastised. "Get to the point."

"It's just that, well, I saw her go into the supply room. Right before Beckendorf told usthe mast was broken," she said quietly. The supply room was where the bottom of the main mast was located. If Silena was in there - I didn't even want to think about it.

"Are you sure you saw her go in? Because she wasn't in there when Beckendorf went down to check. And if she did do this, we have to confront her about it. Beckendorf, as much as I hate to admit it, is in love with her. Head over heels. If we accuse her and she didn't do it, he'll be mad at us, but it'd be fine. If she did do it, he'd be devastated. More than that, we'd have a traitor among us. One I willingly let onboard," I said, sinking down into my chair.

"I'm probably wrong. She probably just went in there to find a spoon. For her medicine," Piper said.

"That may be true, but then why didn't she say anything about the broken mast? I saw it just now and it's a pretty solid break. Almost looks forced. Plus, the mast was fine when we left the other town. It's only been two days," I said, realizing that Silena might actually be a spy.

"Look, Annabeth. Beckendorf is gone. He most likely won't be back for a couple hours. We can just ask her now. I'm sure she'll understand. New people are always the first to be suspected," Piper offered. I waved her down, shaking my head.

"No. If she did do it, I want Beckendorf in there to witness it. He'd never believe it if he didn't hear it himself," I said, running my fingers through my hair.

"That makes sense. It's just that, how will we know if she's telling the truth. She's clearly in love with him, too. There's no way she'd confess to sabotaging us in front of him," Piper explained.

"Don't worry about that. I'm way ahead of you," I grinned. She smiled and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving the office.

With a couple hours to spare, I decided to head into town. I found another PC Inn and Casino and decided to go in. The place was crowded and my nose was bombarded with the mouthwatering smell of hot lamb stew and freshly baked bread. I managed to find my way up to the counter, where a plump old lady was writing things down in a large book.

"Excuse me. I'd like a room, please," I said, shouting to heard over the clamor in the background.

"Of course dear. Just sign right here, please," she said, pulling out another large book and a pen.

"Why is it so crowded in here already?" I asked as I signed the page.

"The owners of the PC Inns are here tonight, dear. Pollux and Castor. It's why we've prepared such a wonderful feast. You're lucky you're here tonight. Only the best gourmet dishes tonight!" she explained, as she accepted my coins and handed me a key. I thanked her and climbed up the stairs to find my room.

Once inside, I immediately undressed until I wore just a white shirt and some trousers. I ordered a hot bath and then relaxed on the small bed while a maid filled the tub with steaming water. As soon as she;d finished, I stripped of all my clothes and slowly stepped into the water. The water mildly scorched my skin, but I welcomed it as the setting sun made way for chilly night breezes.

I soaked in the water for a while until too soon the heat started to recede. With the last few minutes of warmth, I scrubbed my skin with the bar of soap and then stepped out of the tub. The maid had left a warm fluffy towel by the tub and washed my clothes while I'd soaked. The sense of being clean and dressed in fresh clothes comforted me. I adjusted my ponytail and then went downstairs to get some food.

I sat down at an empty table in the corner and a waiter brought me some stew and bread. I studied the crowd as I ate. From the corner of my eye, I thought I spotted a familiar head of messy black hair, but it disappeared as soon as I turned to look and I shook my head.

What I did notice was another familiar figure, this time outside the window. Black hair shrouded most of the pale face, but a quick glimpse of the light blue eyes got rid of any doubt. She was talking to someone considerably taller and larger than her, but it looked as though she was the one that had the control in the conversation. I shrank down into my seat, willing the shadows to hide my face. I watched as her eyes darted about and then she shook the hand of the man and disappeared into the crowded street. The man turned and disappeared as well, leaving me no chance of giving chase.

I finished my stew and stood to sign out of the inn. After signing out, I made my way back to the ship. It was already dark out, and the stars glittered in the clear night sky. Athina stood, gently rocking in the waves of the bay. I smiled and ran my hand along her smooth wooden side as I walked toward and up the steps.

Silena and Beckendorf were sitting on some crates and talking to each other, holding hands. I spotted Piper sitting on the other side of the main deck. She looked up when I arrived. I nodded at her.

"Silena. Beckendorf. Can I speak with you in my office?"

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 **Well that's that. Sort of a cliffhanger there, which I don't apologize for. No one voted on my poll. :( I'm keeping it up until next chapter, so VOTE! Love you so much!**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been so long since I last uploaded. School has been crazy. Thanks for waiting! Another little chapter for all you lovelies. Please review! And as always, love you all for reading!**

 **Here's a little scene as an apology for the long wait:**

 **Annabeth - Hey, Ivy, can I do the disclaimer?**

 **Piper - No, pick me!**

 **Leo - I wanna do it!**

 **A &P - Who are you?**

 **Leo - Uh... *backs away into future chapters***

 **Me - Annabeth, you do it.**

 **Piper - Why her?**

 **Me - Cuz I'm the author and I control all of you.**

 **Annabeth - Ivy-**

 **Leo - DOESN'T OWN PJO/HoO!**

 **Annabeth - WHO ARE YOU?**

 **Me - Moving on...**

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The door shut with a soft _click_. Silena and Beckendorf stood holding hands in the doorway. I gestured for them to sit as I stood behind my desk. Outside the room, I could hear the rest of the crew launching Athina and felt the boat move away from the dock.

"Silena. I hate to ask this of you, but could you please sit here. I need to give you this," I said, holding a syringe. I kept it purely for emergencies, never thinking I'd ever really need it. Beckendorf leaped in front of her, shielding her tiny frame with his massive one.

"Beckendorf. Step away. You know I wouldn't do this unless absolutely necessary," I said, stepping closer. He stared me down and I stared back. He wilted under my gaze, and moved to the side, shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Silena. Thank you for your patience and cooperation," I said, holding the syringe to her neck and pressing down. She flinched as the cold needle broke her soft skin with ease. I pulled the needle out and placed the empty syringe on my desk. She blinked a few times, then looked up at me, eyes glassed over.

"What did you do to her?!" Beckedorf cried out, looking at his love's empty face.

"It's a truth potion, dearest," the words slipped effortlessly out of Silena's mouth. She gave him a lazy smile, scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, and then relaxed, staring at him with lifeless eyes.

"A witch gave it to me as a reward for getting rid of some pests for her," I explained to Beckendorf, who looked at me worriedly. "Silena," I said, directing the attention back to me. "What were you doing with that man in town today?"

"I was talking to him. I gave him the information and he paid me," she said. I looked at Beckendorf and watched him open and close his mouth several times.

"How much of your story is true?"

"My mother isn't actually sick, I've never even met her, but I am traveling to Aphrodisias," she answered, squinting her eyes.

"What are you really doing on this ship?" I asked.

"I was hired to be a spy. To capture you. I-I didn't want to, really. But they said that they have my father. And that they knew my mother. And that I had to do as they said, and I'd get to meet my mother and she'd be so proud, so I thought it would be okay, but then I met Beckendorf and I didn't want to anymore and that's what I was telling the man, but he said that they'd kill me if didn't cooperate. They'd have to, since I know so many secrets," Silena said, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"So you told them where we are," I said.

"Yes," she said, more tears falling.

"And we're sailing straight into a trap," I said.

"Yes," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to. But they'd have killed me and my father. Please don't be mad."

"There's no time for being mad now. I have to clean up this whole mess," I sighed, bursting out of my room. "Stolls! Keep on lookout! An enemy ship will be appearing soon! Malcolm! Change of course! We're not going to Aphrodisias. Head north!" I yelled orders, running around the ship, prepping her for battle. I headed back into the room and found Silena sobbing into Beckendorf's shoulder.

"Silena! We can help you. I just need to know who it was that was ordering you,"I said. I knew the answer before she could say it.

"The Royal Navy of Kyna," she answered.

I rolled out my maps and traced the likely path of the enemy. The nearest navy port was only a few leagues from where we were now. They were probably going to intercept us from there. If we turned northwest, we may have a chance. I sent Piper to give Malcolm the directions and then went over the layout of the ship. She was weaker than normal, due to the main mast that was functional, but not incredibly strong. Outrunning them was impossible. I'd seen what the Royal Navy could do. We would have to fight.

Connor yelled down from the scout's nest. "I see a ship! I can't tell which one it is, though," he said. I ran up onto the main deck and watched a tiny ship in the distance cutting through the water in our direction.

"Looks like the Thea Gnosi. Hey Cap, isn't that the fastest ship in the royal fleet?" Travis asked me. I stood, rooted to the floor. My hands froze at my sides and my legs forgot how to walk. Thea Gnosi. No. It couldn't be. Memories flashed through my head of my countless encounters with the ship. I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts and looked up at Travis.

"It is. We have no hope of outrunning it. And our ammo is barely enough to make a dent in its side. Give me a second to think," I said to him. I walked up to the front of the ship. The navy ship was coming from the starboard side. I looked the left and studied that darkening clouds before racing to the back of the ship where Malcolm was steering.

"Malcolm. You're my second mate and I need you to trust me right now," I whispered to him.

"Captain, what are you-"

"Just listen to me," I interrupted. He nodded and I continued. "You see that storm brewing on the port side? The Thea Gnosi is the navy's most prized ship. They'd never risk damaging it in a storm. No matter what," I said quickly in a hushed voice so the other crew members couldn't hear me. If they did, they would yell and panic and the enemy could hear us and try to intercept. I couldn't let that happen.

"Captain, are asking me to-"

"I am. Can I trust you to get us through it?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Absolutely, Captain. You can count on me," he said, nodding. I got the feeling he was nodding more to reassure himself, but smiled at him encouragingly and patted his shoulder anyway.

"Annabeth," I said.

"What?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Call me Annabeth. You're my second mate. And you're about to do something I would trust with no one else on this ship. You deserve to call me Annabeth," I explained.

"Thank you… Annabeth," he said, smiling wide. I grinned back and then went to explain to the rest of the crew quietly what my plan was exactly.

I watched as Malcolm slowly turned Athina until the enemy was coming from directly behind us. I could hear the crew whispering to each other, wondering if Athina would survive. If we would. Far off in the distance, I could hear singing. Thea Gnosi was still following us at a faster pace than we were going, close enough for me to pick out a few details, but too far for them to attack, and I could hear the singing grow louder and screams coming from inside the ship. I watched as one of the sailors jumped out of the ship into the cold, rocky waves. Another followed. I looked away from the ship, deciding that whatever was going on onboard was none of my business.

I turned my head up as I stood in the middle of the deck and felt the wind blowing against my skin get harder and the clouds above me get closer and darker and heavier. A big splat of water landed on my forehead and I squeezed my eyes shut as it rolled down my face. Another followed, then a third, then more and more until I lost count of how many drops had soaked through my skin and clothes.

"Annabeth!" I heard Piper scream. I opened my eyes and looked around. The rest of the crew was either helping Malcolm steer us through the rocky waves or tying up the minor sails so they wouldn't get torn off in the howling gusts of wind. Piper stood in the doorway to my office. I had completely forgotten about Beckendorf and Silena.

I rushed inside and found them sitting on my bed, Silena whispering gentle words to Beckendorf. She looked up when I entered, and scooted over to make room for me. I stayed where I was, choosing to lean against the wall instead.

"He's afraid of storms," Silena said softly, running a hand over Beckendorf's hair.

"We've entered this storm to escape the navy. They came after us with their most precious ship and I knew they wouldn't risk damaging it. Hopefully it'll pass soon. It looks like it's moving over us, in the opposite direction, which should make it go faster. Beckendorf. If you really don't feel good, you can stay in here. I'll understand," I said. His mother had died aboard a ship in a storm. It was the reason we tried to avoid storms at all costs.

Beckendorf stood, eyes shifting around before staring at me, full of determination. "I'm going to help," he said. He walked out onto the deck and grabbed the rope from scrawny little Lee, who was having trouble tying down the sail.

Silena stood as well and headed towards the door. I stood in front of her. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'm going to help, too. It's my fault you're in this mess. I have to do my best to get you out of it," she answered, glaring up at me, as if daring me to say no. I liked her. I stepped aside and she went out.

Piper was the only one left in the room. "Everything is secure on the lower decks, Captain. We may survive this yet," she said, looping her arms around my neck. The flickering light of the candle glinted of her smooth caramel skin and cast her whole face in a soft golden glow, as if marking her as a goddess. Her silky brown hair was pulled into a long loose braid that hung over her shoulder. I realized then why I'd been so quick to trust Silena. She reminded me of Piper. My longest friendship and one of the few people I would truly trust my life with.

"I love you, Piper," I whispered to her, as the candle flickered again and the shadows on the wall dance with the light.

"I love you too, Annabeth. Are you okay?" she asked, giving me a worried look.

"I don't know. I just have a bad feeling is all. I should be out there helping my crew, but all I want to do is spend some time with my best friend," I said, gazing at her with tired eyes.

"Get some rest Annabeth. I'll go check on the crew," she whispered, guiding toward my bed and laying me down. It felt like forever since I had last had a good night's sleep. My eyelids slid down and I had just given into the beckoning tendrils of sleep when a shout outside jolted me awake.

The world had begun to shake.

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 **Hope you guys liked that chapter! Again, please tell me what you think and whether or not Silena ought to die. It's up to you! Love you all and see you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know this chapter is really short, but I promise the next one will be longer. There's a lot of stress right now, so I might now upload until next week, but I'll try. You guys are amazing and I love you all so much. Thank you for reading. As always, leave me a review telling me what you think. Only two people have VOTED ON MY POLL about Silena's life, which tells me you either don't read this note or just don't care. That makes me sad. Thanks to those who did vote.**

 **I don't own PJO/HoO. (Too tired right now to make a disclaimer scene.)**

* * *

I scrambled out of bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes with one hand and throwing my door open with the other. I stumble as I step out the door and place a hand on the wall to steady myself. It was impossible to see or hear as the rain came down in sheets and the biting wind shrieked loudly in my ears.

"What's going on?" I yelled to Lee, who was standing on the steering deck 10 feet above me.

"The storm got real bad in the last few minutes, Captain. Me and Malcolm are trying to keep the ship steady, but the waves are coming strong," Lee explained, leaning over the railing of the steering deck.

"Malcolm and I!" I heard Malcolm exclaim from behind wheel.

"Not the time, man!" Lee laughed as he raced back to help Malcolm with the steering. I grimaced as the icy wind bombarded my face with shards of water. Pushing forward, I managed to find Piper, hanging on to the main mast, back to the wind.

"When did it get this bad?" I asked her, wrapping my coat tighter around my body.

"Not that long ago. Everything was fine and then, pow. Beckendorf and Silena are over there with-ANNABETH!" Piper screamed. She tackled me to the ground and I watched as a growing wave rose above the ship.

"Piper, get off me!" I struggled underneath her grip as the water crashed onto her back.

"No! Annabeth, you're my captain and I love you. And as your first mate, I am willing to give my life to save yours. Get over here," Piper said determinedly as she dragged me over to our supply barrels. "Hang on tight to these. They'll float."

"No, Piper. I'm the captain. If anyone dies tonight, it's going to be me. A captain goes down with her ship," I said, standing.

"Annabeth, you saved us all. We were lost. We had nothing. And then you appeared. If anyone lives tonight, everyone on this ship is going to be damned if it isn't you," Piper said, forcing me back down. I saw Lee and Malcolm giving me a look that only served to prove Piper right. I sighed and stood among the barrels.

Piper ran off to help the Stolls and I was left alone. As soon as she could no longer see me, with the rain making it impossible to see more than 3 feet ahead of you, I ran up the steps to the steering deck and pushed Malcolm away from the wheel.

"Captain! Get back down!" he shouted, trying to wrestle me away from the wheel.

"I am your captain and right now I am telling you and Lee to go down and stay with the barrels. You're good men and you deserve to live. I got us into this mess. I'm going to get us of this or die trying," I said, grabbing hold of the wheel and guiding us through the waves.

The wind howled and I held my stray hairs back with my left hand as I used my right to steer the ship through the maze. Athina rocked back and forth beneath me and I knew she wouldn't be able to take much longer. The storm seemed never ending, the black sky stretching for what seemed leagues ahead of us.

Out of nowhere, the ship began to tilt backwards as a massive wall of water loomed over us. Despite my best efforts, there was no escaping the wave. I felt my feet slip out from under me as the ship turned vertical. I scrambled to grab hold of the railing as the floor became the ceiling. I could hear the rest of the crew screaming at each other to hold on and that everything would be okay. I shut my eyes tight and tried to block out their voices. I was the one that doomed them. This was my plan.

The wave broke with a deafening crash and I felt the piece of railing I was hanging on to break off from the ship and drop into the sea. The flimsy scrap of wood sank deeper and deeper and I felt the salty water rush past me in all directions. I realized I had lost my hair ribbon as a strand of hair stuck to my face.

I flailed around with my arms, briefly managing to break the surface and take a gulp of air before the angry sea pushed me back down. I could taste the salt on my tongue and burning in my lungs as I sank lower and lower into the depths of the ocean. My eyes flickered open for a second and I glimpsed a few rays of sunshine beaming through the water before I my vision went dark.

The last thing my brain processed was a circle of warmth and a swish of dark hair.

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 **So yeah. Short little chapter. Vote if you want to influence my decision about Silena's death. Also leave me a review telling me who else you think should live or die. Thank you all for reading! You guys make my day, especially the reviewers! Seriously, though, you guys keep me going. Love you all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alrighty my lovelies. Here is chapter 6 for ya. Longer than the others, to make up for the short chapter 5, just like I promised. Finals are in two weeks and life is literally hell right now, but I am super into this story and I'm excited to get the plot moving. Here is where the real fun happens. The actual story. The first few chapters were just an intro. As always, enjoy the story and please review!**

 **Will - Hey Ivy!**

 **Me - Heya Will!**

 **Will - Can I do the disclaimer?**

 **Me - Go for it, Sunshine.**

 **Nico - Hey! Only I get to call him that!**

 **Me - Whatever ya say, Death Boy.**

 **Nico - Don't call me that!**

 **Will - Yeah, only I can call him that.**

 **Nico - No! *pouts***

 **Will - How cute.**

 **Nico - I AM NOT CUTE! I AM DEATH! FEAR ME!**

 **Will - Says the cutie with a skeleton kitten. *continues fighting***

 **Me - I'm no Uncle Rick. I don't own PJO/HoO. If I did, I wouldn't be so broke. Enjoy!**

 **Annabeth - *sobbing in distance* (You'll understand once you read the chapter.)**

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 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

I scrunched up my face as another drop hit my forehead. Slowly, my eyes flickered open, squinting as they adjusted to the bright light shining through the window.

….

I bolted upright, falling back down on the bed as a wave of nausea overcame me. This wasn't right. I was supposed to be dead. At the bottom of the ocean. Was this heaven?

I turned onto my right side to face away from the window and blinked as my vision cleared. A glass of water sat on a small table next to a small box of pills. Ugh, pills. Definitely not heaven. Then again, with all I'd done in my lifetime, I wasn't exactly expecting to go to heaven. Still, would've been nice. I slowly sat up in the bed and found the source of the dripping in a leak in the ceiling.

The door swung open and a tall tanned guy with a too big smile entered the room.

"Thought I heard a noise!" the guy exclaimed, smile growing wider, if at all possible.

"You're awfully cheery for hell," I muttered, rolling my eyes at his perpetual sunniness. Maybe this was my eternal punishment. Super peppy guys. Great.

"Hell? Quite the opposite, in fact. Ooh, quite. Fancy word," the guy rambled, pulling up a chair to sit next to my bed..

"Can you-" I tried to ask, before a round of coughs interrupted me. The guy's smile immediately vanished as he gently pushed me back against the headboard and held up the glass of water. He pulled a straw from his pocket and slowly helped me drink the water. Once the glass was empty, he put it aside and turned back to me, checking to see if I'd break out into coughs again.

"Don't try to talk too much. You've had quite the experience. Try to talk a little bit at a time. You're throat is still healing," the guy said, this time with a soft smile.

"Where am I?" I whispered, throat still raw.

"Oh, yeah. Guess that's kinda important. You're in the infirmary. Someone rescued you from drowning and brought you here. I'm not going to tell you more than that, because right now you need rest. If you feel up to it, I could help you take a walk," he said.

"That would be nice…" I trailed off, raising an eyebrow at the suntanned man.

"Will," he filled in for me. "I'll leave you to get dressed. There's some clothes in the dresser. Come out when you're done."

With that, he stood and left the room, giving me a cheery wave before shutting the door behind him. Groaning, I slowly managed to push myself off the headboard and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I raised my head and found a small white dresser sitting in the corner of the room, near the door. Above it sat a mirror, and my own reflection nearly gave me a heart attack.

My once bright blonde hair now hung in dull strands around my face. My face was pulled gaunt to the point where my cheekbones were the most prominent feature on my face. My hands were bony and the white shift hung loosely off my tiny frame.

I could feel my rusty joints creaking as I stood from the bed and took baby steps over to the dresser. Opening a drawer, I found a loose white top and trousers. Though it took a while, I managed to change my clothes and opened the door, finding Will sitting in a chair in front of the door. A long hallway stretched left and right, with identical numbered doors patterning the walls.

Will looked up as I appeared. "Hey. That was fast. You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's go," I said. He offered me his arm and I took it. Will led me down the hallway to the left and exited through a door at the end of the hall. We emerged on a shaded patio, with two rocking chair on one side and small table on the other. Surrounding the patio was beautiful white sand and lush tropical greenery. A little bit in the distance, in front of us, I could see the waves rolling onto the shore and hear seagulls calling from the sky.

We stepped off the patio and I had to hold my hand up to face to shield my eyes from the sun. My toes curled in the warm sand, and I realized that sometime in the last few seconds, I had fallen in love with the place.

Will led me around the edge of the building, and we headed towards the back of the long structure. Behind the infirmary, smaller wooden cabins dotted the scene, lining the sides of a wide sandy path deeper into the village.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Will asked. For a moment, I had forgotten he was even there.

"Yeah. It is. What is this place?" I asked, watching the people milling around, smaller children running all over as the older citizens playfully chastised them.

"Welcome to Astoria. I always love watching people's reaction when they first see this place," Will said.

"Yeah. Do you get a lot of newcomers here?" I asked, turning my head to look at him as he led me down the path between the cabins to a large building at the end.

"Oh, all the time. People are always washing up on shore. Most choose to stay. In fact, a lot of us discovered this place without meaning to," Will explained. I was about to ask another question when he led me up the steps to the patio of the building. Will pushed open the screen door and led me inside to a large open room. An opening on the far side led into a kitchen and to my left a set of stairs went to the second floor. A few sofas and a rug decorated the room and a smattering of pictures of happy people covered the walls.

"This is the Big House. It's where we take care of official business. Like what to do with you," Will said, guiding me to a sofa near the wall closest to me and setting me down on the soft cushions. He exited the building for a few moments, before returning with a small group of people.

They took their seats on the other sofas, facing me. They all stared at me for a moment before the only girl, a gorgeous dark skinned lady with shimmering golden eyes held a ring adorned hand up and leaned to the side, covering her mouth and whispering to the man next to her. He, a tanned guy with angular, narrow eyes and dark heavy eyebrows nodded to her and whispered back.

"She needs food. I'm not talking about anything else until she eats," the girl said with a firm finality in her voice.

"I'm with Hazel," the guy she was talking to said. The rest of the group nodded and stood. Will came over and helped me into the kitchen. On the other side of the massive kitchen, another door led to a small dining room. He sat me down in a chair and in just a matter of minutes, a heaping plate of food was placed in front of me. I hadn't quite realized just how famished I really was until the scent warm roasted vegetables, buttery mashed potatoes, seasoned chicken, and soft toasted bread hit my nose.

I grabbed my fork and knife, shoveling food into my mouth without second thought. I had managed to finish a third of the giant platter before Will reached out a hand and gently touched my elbow. I turned my head to look at him, slightly annoyed that he had interrupted my delicious meal.

"Don't eat so fast. Your stomach is still very weak. We've been feeding you through a tube these past few days, so it's going to take some time for your stomach to adjust to normal food. Especially such rich food. Slow down," Will said.

"Days? Wait. How long have I been out?" I asked, putting down my utensils, and turning to face him fully.

"Really not that long. He brought you here only about a week ago," Will said. My stomach turned over and I held a hand to my mouth as the memories of the storm resurfaced. Will simply pointed to a door and I barely made it in time to regurgitate the delicious meal into the toilet. Everything I'd just eaten came back up in a disgusting brown acid. Just like me. I was disgusting. Where was my crew? Did any of them make it? Were they in surrounding town? Most likely not. We were out in the middle of the sea. Oh gods. Piper. Beckendorf. Silena. Lee. Malcolm. Connor. Travis. None of them deserved to die. It was all my fault. I led them there. I let Silena on board. I chose to enter the storm. Their deaths are on my head. I'm the one that doomed the ship and I'm the one that survived and made it to paradise. Fate was cruel.

Once my stomach had been emptied, I washed my mouth with water from the basin and walked out of the bathroom to find that the food had all been cleared except for a small platter of fruits. The group that had scrutinized me previously was now sat around the table. I took my seat and again and looked at Will, who sat at my right, for comfort. He was the only one I felt close to here. He nodded at me and then looked at the others.

"Hello there. I'm Hazel," the girl said, smiling at me.

"Annabeth," I answered. Only a few seconds later did I realize I'd given out my real name, but I figured I was safe here. I remember Astoria from my lessons. It was a tiny town in the kingdom of Kyrosi, one of the smallest. There had been a major battle here hundreds of years ago, when it was bigger, and the town was destroyed. It was rebuilt only a few hundred years ago. The people here had very little communication with other towns, or even the capital. It was a secluded paradise.

"Nice to meet you Annabeth. This is Frank," Hazel said, motioning to the boy on her right, from earlier.

"Jason," said a blonde haired male with striking pale blue eyes.

"Leo," said a tanned boy with dark curly hair and a fire in his eyes.

"Nico," said the smallest guy, sitting on Will's right. He had black hair with equally black eyes, contrasting his pale skin. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"We just want to know a few things about you, Annabeth. To start with, where did you come from?" Jason asked.

"Aphrodisias," I said, not wanting to give out too much information. With a spark, my hair turned bright pink and Hazel giggled.

"There's a charm on the Big House. When you lie, your hair turns bright pink," Frank explained, as I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Okay, fine. I lied. I'm from the capital of Kyna. I didn't want to say anything, because I had a really bad childhood and I don't like talking about it. Didn't really have a mom and all that," I said quietly. I let out a breath I didn't know i was holding as I watched my hair return to its normal blonde shade. Jason opened his mouth to ask another question but I interrupted.

"Now I get to ask a question. You've all been very nice, but I'm a wanted woman as you've probably figured out from going through my clothing and possessions," I said.

"We have. Captain of the pirate ship Athina," Leo said.

"Yes. Are you going to turn me in?" I asked.

"Mmm. Not sure of that. But there's a high chance we won't," Frank said.

"How did you get shipwrecked?" Jason asked.

"We were escaping the royal navy. They managed to catch wind of our location and were chasing us. I spotted a storm and thought we could escape through there. It got real bad once we were inside and our ship was turned over," I explained. "Speaking of the wreck. Did any of my crew survive?" I asked, almost pleading them to say that yes they were fine and they were just resting.

They all looked at each other and Will placed his hand on my shoulder. I could feel my eyes filling with tears, but I pulled them back. I would not cry. I would be strong for them. I glanced around the table, no one willing to deliver the news. Finally, a throat cleared.

"We did not recover anyone alive. Two other people were brought to us. But we were unable to save them. However, other members of your crew may have made it to safety at other places," Nico said, attempting to be as gentle as possible.

"Can I- Can I see them? The ones you couldn't save?" I asked, taking a deep breath. The warmth of the room had disappeared, replaced with a sharp chill. I studied the stoic faces of those that surrounded me. "Please. I loved them," I whispered. Will nodded and helped me up.

Nico followed behind us as we made our way back to the infirmary. He pushed open the back door for us as Will led me inside, taking me to a room I hadn't noticed before. Inside, two tables sat in the middle of the room and on them lay two large black bags, zipped shut.

I slowly made my over to one and gripped the zipper with a trembling hand. Will reached out, but I shook my head at him. I had to do this. I was responsible for this. He nodded and stepped back, standing by door. Nico stood a little farther in, closer to the tables.

I pulled open the zipper and cried out when greyed brown skin came into view, releasing the bag and gripping my hair tight with my bony hands. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I began to frantically shake my head. Not him. Oh gods, why him? The sweetest man to ever walk the earth lay frozen on a table in front of me, because of what I'd done. I slowly reached out and placed my shaking hands on his face. His skin was cold to the touch and starting to crack. I ran my hand over his dark hair, much of which had already fallen out. He looked more peaceful than I had ever seen him in all the years I had known him. The world could never have been more cruel. The only woman he ever truly loved, who calmed him, was the cause of his demise. Because I'd let her on board. Not able to face him any longer, my soul heavy with guilt, I turned to the other bag.

I opened the bag in jerks, the zipper getting caught on the fabric every few inches due to my shaking. The first pull revealed tufts of crusty blonde hair. The second, pale skin and closed eyelids that I knew hid dull grey irises. A few more and his broken nose, pale lips, and a large gash on his neck came into view. I ran my hand through his hair, brushing it away from his forehead, the way I had always done when we were kids. "Oh Malcolm. My sweet, sweet cousin. How could this happen to you?" I whispered, tracing the outline of his face with one hand as I cupped his unmoving cheek with the other.

I stood in between the two bodies and finally let the tears fall as I clung to the empty shell that once held Malcolm's vibrant soul. Sobs racked my body as the true realization of what had occurred fell upon me.

"Malcolm. Beckendorf. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You never deserved to die. I should be dead. I should be the one lying on that table. You were good men. I will never forgive myself for this. I am so, so sorry," I sobbed into Malcolm's cold chest.

I didn't even notice when Will gently pried me away from the bodies, letting his shirt get soaked with my salty tears, and brought me outside. We had made it the middle of town when I had finally cried myself out. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and looked around. Will had brought me to a small cabin.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"This is where you'll stay. The council has decided to let you stay here. Tomorrow Hazel will stop by and take you out to get clothes and such," Will explained, leading me into the house. It was very cozy, with 3 bedrooms, a small kitchen, a living room, and a dining room. The cabin was already furnished with a few couches and beds.

"It's great. Thank you. For everything, Will," I said, my voice still hoarse from crying just a few moments before.

"I'll leave you now. I have other patients to care for now, you understand," Will said. I nodded at him and waited by the door as he left and made his way down to infirmary. I had only shut the door when a loud commotion outside caused me to swing the door back open. What seemed like the whole town was running down towards the beach.

"Come quick! They've found another!" a little boy yelled at me as he ran past my porch. I wiped the last few tears away with my palm and followed the crowd down to the shore where a group of people was carrying a body to the infirmary.

Though I was stuck in the middle of the crowd, with everyone trying to get a look at the newcomer, I had no problem recognizing the dark hair and pale skin of the one girl I'd only met a few weeks ago. The girl who was the reason for this whole mess.

* * *

 **So that's that. It feels a little weird. A little long and rushed. Oh well. I tried to write a sad scene, so please tell me how it was. I suck at sad scenes. So as usual, please leave a review and I love you all for reading so, so much! (Side note: Sorry to that one reviewer who wanted Malcolm and Beckendorf to live. They dead. Just like all my hope for the future.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey there my lovelies! I'm so sorry that I haven't uploaded in so long, but finals are over and I have more time to write now! Yay! As an apology for not uploading for so long, I'm going to try and post two chapter today. I might post the second one tomorrow, but it will be soon. I promise. As always, please review and enjoy the story!**

* * *

"Let me through!" I yelled, pushing people aside as I made my way to the front of the crowd.

"Miss, I can't let you- Annabeth?" Jason asked, holding me back from entering the infirmary.

"She was on my ship. I know her. Her name's Silena. I need to see her. I need to be in there with her," I demanded, holding my ground as Jason stared me down. Finally, he relented, realizing I wasn't going to give up until I'd had my way. He let me through and I raced inside the building. I found the operating room and suddenly stopped, standing outside the door. What was I going to do if she made it? Beckendorf loved her, even after finding out about her treachery. And she did come clean. But not in time to save my crew. She's the reason I was forced to enter the storm. But that decision was all on me. I shook my head. What happened if she survived wasn't important now. What mattered was that she survived at all.

I pushed open the door and found Silena laying on the table, covered in cuts and bruises, sporting a giant gash in her abdomen and struggling to breathe. Her eyes were wide open and her pupils shifted to me, breathing getting more erratic as she realized my presence.

"Hey, Silena. It's okay. These doctors are going to help you. You're in good hands," I said, sitting on a stool next to her. I placed my hand on top of hers and gripped mine tightly. I could sense her fear and I placed my free hand on her head, repeating to her that it would be okay.

Will tapped my shoulder and leaned down to whisper to me. "I'm going to start cleaning the wound in her abdomen. Can you keep talking to her to keep her mind off the pain. I can't put her under, she's too unstable," he said. I nodded and he stepped away.

"Hey Silena. Can you tell me what my name is?" I asked her as she shut her eyes from the sting of the disinfectant Will was placing on her wound.

"An-an-annabeth. C-captain Annabeth," she stuttered, gasping for each breath.

"Good. That's good. You remember me. Which means your memory is good. That's good. Look, I know it hurts right now, but you're going to be okay, okay?" Silena nodded in response and I squeezed her hand.

"Annabeth. I-I don't think I'm g-going to make it. I'm s-sorry. This is all my fault. I-I did this. I'm s-sorry. S-so sorry," Silena whispered to me.

"Don't say that. You're going to be fine. You have to be. Live, Silena. Survive this," I said to her. Silena laced her fingers with mine and shook her head, tears leaking from her eyes.

"They say you can tell when you're going to die. You can feel it. I'm feeling it, Annabeth. They can try, but I'm not going to make it," SIlena gasped out in one breath.

"Silena," I started, looking at her sadly.

"No, Annabeth. J-just, before I d-die. T-Tell me. Beckendorf. Is he okay?" Silena asked. I studied her face, noticing her breathing getting shallower and the doctors racing around the room, frantically trying to stop the blood that was gushing from her abdomen.

"Yes, Silena. He's fine. He's waiting in another room. He's been asking for you everyday," I told her. I watched a small smile form on her face as she turned her head to look upwards at the ceiling.

"I'm glad. He's okay. Tell him, tell him this for me please. Beckendorf, I-" her voice drifted off, a final puff of air leaving her mouth as her eyes slid shut. I closed my eyes and looked away. I couldn't stand a third dead friend in one day. It was too much.

"I'm sorry," Will whispered to me, taking off his gloves as the other doctors pulled a sheet over Silena's body. "We did everything we could. The bleeding was too much. I'm surprised she survived so long. Annabeth, I'm going to need you to let go of her hand." I looked down and realized that I was still clutching tightly to her limp hand. No matter how hard I tried to let go, my hand had gone numb.

"I-I can't. I can't feel my hand," I told Will. He gave a sympathetic smile and placed his hands on my frozen one, gently prying it away. I thanked him and then walked out of the room. In my haze, I didn't notice where I was going and bumped into someone on my way out of the infirmary.

"Sorry," I muttered, moving aside.

"It's fine," a familiar voice said. I blinked and then looked up at the owner of the voice. Familiar messy dark hair and striking green eyes stared down at me.

"Percy?" I asked, taking a step back to get a better look at him.

"Hey. Anthea, right?" he asked.

"Actually, it's Annabeth. Anthea's not my real name," I told him, deciding that it was better just to let him know than have him find out I lied from someone else in town.

"Oh. Well, nice to see you again. Any news about the girl?" he asked. I glanced upward, staring at the light on the wall to keep myself from tearing up. "Oh. Oh no. I'm sorry. Did you know her?" he asked, realizing what happened.

"Yeah. Not for long, but she mattered a lot to me," I answered. He patted my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me and then walked on. I headed back to my cabin and took a long warm shower, letting the water run down my body as I scratched absentmindedly at my scabs. Once the water started to turn cold, I shut off the shower and wrapped myself in one of the fluffy towels I'd found in the closet. I was pulling my shirt over my head when I heard the front door open and close.

I grabbed a lamp from the dresser and crept down the hall. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed and I glimpsed a tall shadow making its way towards me. I hid behind a shelf, waiting for the stranger to appear.

As soon as I could see the body in my peripheral vision, I swung the lamp, only to have in be caught by the intruder. I yanked the lamp away and then startled as the face registered in my brain.

"Percy?" I asked, incredulous.

"The one and only. Well, maybe not only. I'm sure there's someone else named Percy out there. It's sort of a common name where I'm from, but not that common. I've never really met anyone na-" he paused when I held up my hand.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, putting the lamp down and crossing my arms over my chest.

"I live here… for the most part," he answered.

"Oh. Well, I guess it was stupid of me to think that I'd have this whole place to myself."

"Yeah. This is the Guest House. So until you, you know, officially move in or whatever, you'll be staying here with me. Like roommates!" he said with a grin.

"Great. Can't wait. How long have you been here? I didn't see any stuff in the other rooms" I asked.

"I come and go. The local stray I guess. I was recently in that town where we met. Then I traveled some more. Now I'm back here again. It's my sort of home. I'll probably be gone in a couple days again."

"Oh. Hey, why were you so interested in that girl earlier?" I asked, wondering what he wanted with Silena.

"I'm the one who found her. I brought her in, like I did for…" he trailed off, looking away and scratching the back of his neck.

"For?" I prompted.

"Uh, lots of people. Kinda what I do. Pull people from the sea. I gotta crash. I'll see you later?" he asked, avoiding my gaze.

"Um, sure," I said, confused at his sudden mood change. He nodded at me and then walked off towards the bedroom opposite mine. I raised an eyebrow after him, wondering at his hasty exit. Probably just tired, but… I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was up.

A knock at the door shook me from my thoughts. I pulled open the door to reveal Hazel, happily bouncing on her toes in excitement.

"Hey. What's got you all excited?" I asked, unable to resist the smile forming on my face at her giddiness.

"We're going shopping!" Hazel squealed. "I'm the only girl on the Council and while I love the other members they're such bores. And everyone else in the town is too respectful to be any fun. I never get to do anything fun!"

"Oh, well sorry to disappoint, but I'm not really big on shopping either," I said, slipping on a pair of sandals and following her down the steps of the porch.

"That's okay. You just have to be with me and give your opinion. I'll tell you everything about the town while we're out," she said, taking my hand and pulling me onto a horse-drawn cart. She nodded at the driver and we took off.

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 **Well that's that. Shopping with Hazel in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed! This story is going to be a long one, and I have the gist planned out, I'm just a little stuck on how to get to the next plot point, so if anyone has any writing tips, please share!**

 **Thanks for reading. I love you all!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! So I lied. This was supposed to come out on Wednesday, but then stuff happened and so here's the next chapter. Hope you like it and please review! (I tried my best with the food, but I wasn't sure what they ate in Greece/wherever.)**

 **I don't own PJO/HoO.**

 **HEY YOU! YES YOU! PLEASE TELL ME YOUR FUNNIEST JOKE! I NEED HUMOR IN MY LIFE! TELL ME THE FUNNIEST THING YOU'VE EVER HEARD/CAME UP WITH! OKAY THANK YOU. CONTINUE READING.**

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The town was much bigger than I had originally imagined, connecting by intricate roadways carved deep into the tropical jungle. We traveled down a narrow sandy path, with towering palm trees lining each side, their huge leaves shielding us from the sun. Occasionally another cart would pass us, but for the most part it was just us, the greenery, and Hazel's chatter.

"We don't have a lot of people here. Only a few hundred or so. But we're very spread out. Our longest road, which connects the east and west sides of the town, takes an hour to travel. We're more of a province, really, but we're listed as a town. We were just in the center of town, which is known as just Astoria. The other sectors of town have their own local names, but they're mainly known by their cardinal directions, based on the center.

"We're headed to the biggest market in Astoria, in north Astoria. It's known there as Glys. They have everything you could ever dream of. It's a great place to visit, but I don't think I'd ever want to live there. Too crowded for my taste. You'll get your own place in a few days. Our policy is newcomers have to stay in the guest house for 5 days while the Council decides if you're good enough to stay. Background searches, in a way. Basically if you have a record of being bad or disobedient. Then we either find a roommate for you or you can choose your own. Only the richest and most important residents get to live alone. We could expand into the forest, but we already take so much from it and we do fine as we are," Hazel chattered on.

"I was a pirate," I said. Hazel glanced at me.

"Oh, right. Well, we'll mostly decide based on how you interact with the other residents. I'm sure you'll be able to stay. Today's my turn to be with you. Tomorrow will be another Council member. And then after 5 days we'll decide. You have nothing to worry about. I like you already," Hazel assured me. I gave her a sincere smile in gratitude.

The cart slowed to a stop and I realized that we'd already arrived at the market. Hazel stepped over the side and jumped to ground. I followed her actions and took in my surroundings. People crowded the streets. Colorful booths lined the street each with a boisterous merchant behind them, declaring their sales and goods. The buildings behind them stood tall and decorations were strung between them, hanging high above the bustling market.

The sounds of bickering, bartering, and hundreds of chattering voices filled my ears. "Come on, Annabeth!" Hazel said. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the swarm of bodies. I followed her as she stopped at random booths, buying clothes, accessories, jewelry, furniture, and just about everything you could ever need. Everything she purchased was passed to me, and by the time the sun had just begun to set, my arms had grown sore and I tugged at Hazel's sleeve.

"That's a lot to carry. We should take a break. Let's drop everything back at the cart and we can get something to eat," Hazel said, grabbing some bags from my arms and leading me back the way we had come.

"Hazel, the sun is setting. We should head back now," I grunted as I shifted a bag onto my shoulder.

"Already? I suppose you're right. We can get some dinner and then go back. You have to try the food here. Frank and I come here all the time." Hazel turned and smiled at me. I smiled back. The crowd was beginning to thin as people made their way home and the sky was starting to grow dark.

"Are you and Frank together?" I asked, realizing that after all the time I'd spent with her today, I really didn't know that much about her.

"We are, yes. For a few years now. He so sweet and adorable. You don't expect a shapeshifter to be so kind and peaceful, but that's just the way Frank is. I really love him," she said, dropping her bags in the cart. I did the same and then turned to look at her.

"Shapeshifter?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. Hazel's eyes grew wide and she slapped a hand over her mouth. I took a step back as she squeezed her eyes shut and stomped angrily on the ground. "Hazel?" I asked.

"I'm so sorry. I thought I could go one day without spilling any secrets. I'm really such a bad liar. It's amazing they still keep me on the council after the things I've let slip. Let's go eat. I'll explain everything," Hazel said, reaching her hand out to me. I took it and she took us down the market street and into a small restaurant.

"I really love this place. You don't order anything. You just sit down and they bring you a giant plate of food. You eat, you pay, you go home happy. Come this way, by the window," Hazel said, bringing me to a booth by the wall with an open window allowing the cool night breeze to enter. I sat down, Hazel sitting across from me, and we both looked out the window in silence as the merchants and travelers slowly began to pack up their wares. Soon enough, a large platter of hot food was placed in front of me.

I could feel my mouth begin to water as I took in the delicious smells of the various foods. Lamb skewers marinated in creamy sauce and served with garlic yogurt sauce. Grilled pork wrapped in freshly baked pita bread. Soft fish dressed in lemon and oil, served with cucumber and grilled peas. Fried zucchini balls with a tangy yogurt dip. Warm and cheesy spanakopita. Sweet, flaky baklava for dessert. A tall glass of chilled goat's milk and honey to drink. Looking at the heaping plate of food made me realize how little I'd eaten the whole day, dealing with Silena's, Beckendorf's, and Malcolm's passing, Percy showing up, shopping with Hazel.

Once I'd gotten a few bites in on the lamb skewer, I looked up at Hazel and raised an eyebrow. "Right. You probably have some questions," Hazel sighed. I nodded at her and she continued. "Frank is a shapeshifter. He can turn into animals. It's a bit limited. Most can turn into other people or plants or just about anything. Frank can just turn into other animals. I'm not complaining. It was hard enough get him to stop turning into a dog every time I was sad. He still does it sometimes. It's sweet. Most people in town know about it. Especially after that one time he was sick and couldn't control his ability and turned into a tiger in front of the whole town."

"Are there any other shapeshifters?" I asked, wondering how much of the town was truly human.

"No, not shapeshifters. Not that I know of anyway. Well, I suppose if you're going to be a part of this town, I should tell you everything. A lot of us aren't fully human. We are for the most part, but we have little powers. We like to call them gifts from the gods. Jason can sort of predict the weather. He's very good with storms. If he says a storm is coming, chances are there'll be one within the next two days. We're guessing his mother was part Valkyrie. Leo can create fire. Controlling, not so much, which is why we don't like him to use it very often. He has a little bit of dragon blood in him, but not enough to be able to control the flames.

"Will is very skilled at medicine. He can take one look at you and figure a short list of possibilities as to what might be wrong. He supposedly has a little Caladrius blood. Nico, we're not really sure what Nico has in him, but he can sense death. A bit morbid, I know. But it's very helpful. He can tell when someone is dying or going to die. He's saved many lives. I can locate minerals and gems under the ground. Like, right now, I know that we're on top of a giant limestone bed. I helped lay the foundation for the new parts of the town. I can tell if the ground is stable or not, and where we can pull minerals like salt from," Hazel explained.

I stared at her in silence, absorbing the new information. Slowly, I began to nod in understanding. It made sense that they would have powers. A handful of young people ruling such a successful city? I suppose magic had to have been involved.

"Annabeth," Hazel called. I looked up at her at the sound of my name. "What's your power?"

"I don't have one. Not that I know of, anyway. I'm just a normal pirate," I answered.

"That's not true. You know how Nico can sense the dead? It's because he can sort of sense their souls. And yours is definitely a magical one, according to him. It's okay if you don't know now. You'll figure it out. It took me forever before I realized other people couldn't tell whether they were standing on mud or stone. Is there anything different about you? I mean, you must be really talented, to be a pirate captain so young," Hazel said, sipping at her milk.

"I mean, I'm smarter than most of the people from back home. But, they weren't very bright to begin with. I guess I'm good at mapping and strategy? Does that count?" I asked.

"Of course! Battle strategy and knowledge are definitely something. You're only, how old?"

"17," I answered.

"17! And you were running a pirate ship. A very successful one, too. Athina was so well known that we knew of it, even here in paradise! We don't get very much news from the other parts of the world. Not even the kingdom, really. Just the important stuff. And we heard of you. That's your power. Strategy and knowledge," Hazel squealed, excited at her newfound discovery. I nodded along with her enthusiasm.

"We should probably head back to town, Hazel. It's dark out. And your friends will worry," I said. Hazel peered out the window and glanced at the empty street, lit only by the torches hanging on the walls.

"You're right. I'm stuffed anyway. Let's go," Hazel agreed. Hazel put the money on the table and we made our way back to the cart.

Hazel climbed in after me and the driver took off, taking us back home.

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 **So that's that. New development! Yay. Magical powers. Fun. Hope you liked it, please review, and let me know if you have any writing tips! I'm stumped on how to move forward with this story. Thanks and I love you all!**


	9. Chapter 9

**It's been like a month since I last uploaded. I've been running on 3 hours of sleep lately, but I have found the time to write this chapter for all you lovely readers. I hope you enjoy, and as always, please leave me a review.**

 **Note to all you fantastic people: Please PM me your best jokes. Big thanks to PoppyOhare for that lovely joke. If any of my other readers (if I still have any) have something hilarious, please send them to me. I need happiness. Thank you all you beautiful readers and enjoy!**

 **I don't own PJO/HoO.**

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I woke up to a loud crash outside my room. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I pulled open the door to find Percy standing up and putting the small hallway table back against the wall.

"There's someone at the door. I, uh, tripped," Percy admitted. I nodded at him with an amused smile and went to open the door.

Jason stood outside with an obnoxiously happy smile. I was about to close the door in his face when he stuck his foot in the doorway.

"Nope. Not today, Annabeth. You're stuck with me today. We're going to have lots of fun," Jason quipped with his happy, happy face. I stepped on his foot, and when he moved it away, I shut the door in his face, never removing the apathetic look on my face.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I grabbed a slice of buttered toast from the counter and opened the door again. Jason sat on a straw chair on the porch. He stood as I appeared.

"There you are. Let's get started, shall we?" he asked, offering me his arm. I took it and he led me down the sandy road towards the beach. Neither of us spoke, agreeing to enjoy the cool wisps of wind that remained from the night.

"Jason," I said, breaking the silence. He turned his chin towards me in acknowledgement. "Hazel… She told me about you. And your powers. And the rest of the Councils'," I continued.

"Yeah, what about it?" he asked, turning his head fully towards me.

"Do you think… you could… show me?" I asked hesitantly. I wasn't sure whether these things were openly talked about and didn't want to seem disrespectful.

"Of course. You're actually the first person to ask me that. Most people ask what it's like being different or how long I've been able to do it. It's nice for a change," Jason answered kindly, smiling at me. I smiled back.

The sand beneath my feet became looser and my pace slowed. Jason however, with years of experience walking on sand, forged ahead. Once he realized I was no longer by his side, he turned and called out to me, "Come on, Pirate! Get your sand legs on!"

"Put a cork in it, Land Legs! It's been a while!" I shouted back, unable to hide the grin spreading on my face. Focusing on my gait, I managed to catch up with Jason as we continued our walk on the beach. Once we reached the shore, Jason stopped.

"Alright, enough fun. We're here to work," Jason said, with a serious face. I nodded along. "Let's _sea_ what you can do Boats," he continued, smiling at his own joke. My smile disappeared and I groaned. "Come on, Boats. That was pretty good. Anyway, I promised you a show of my ability. It's really nothing impressive to watch. However, I can tell you that the next storm to hit this village won't be for a good fortnight. Now then. Shall we begin?" he asked.

"What are we doing?" I asked, curious about today's activities.

"Cleaning up the beach, checking for washups. Survivors who appear on our shore. Storms bring a lot of debris from nearby beaches. The wall of trees we have surrounding this area does a fairly good job of keeping it off the sand, but that means we have to climb the trees and pick off the debris," Jason explained, handing me a large sack.

He started off towards to the left end of the beach, so I headed right. Craning my neck upwards, I found a lot of trash stuck in the treetops like Jason said there would be. I tied the bag to my waist using the string handles and began to climb.

The sun beat down on my back for hours, and I wiped the sweat off my brow. My once loose shirt now stuck to my figure, drenched in sweat. Though the work was tedious and took an immense amount of balance, I found myself enjoying the thrill of being so high up in the treetops.

Jason called me down for a quick lunch and then it was back to work. Around mid-afternoon, a cool breeze swept through and I sat up higher on my perch above the treetops, savoring the feeling of the wind blowing my golden locks away from my face. As the breeze died down, I slowly opened my eyes and took in the scene laying before me. Trees dotted the area, growing fewer in number as they gave way to white sand. The clear blue waves lapped at the shore, as if beckoning to come join. A bird soaring through the sky called to its mate and I turned towards the sound, freezing as I noticed a shape in the water that seemed oddly familiar.

"Jason! Jason! JASON!" I yelled, sliding down the trunk of the tree and jumping off far to early. I stumbled as I landed on the sand and sprinted towards my cleaning partner as soon as I'd regained my balance. "Jason!" I continued to yell, running towards him.

"Annabeth? Annabeth! What's wrong?!" he yelled back, running in my direction. I skidded to a stop in front of him, nearly losing my balance.

"I-I'm not. Sure. I. I don't know. But. But there's something. In the water. It looked. Like a hand. And a head. In. That direction. A little bit. Off the shore," I panted out between gasps for air.

Jason nodded at me and then sprinted back into the village. He returned shortly after with Percy in tow, barechested and clad in only a pair of shorts. Jason pointed in the direction I had shown him. Percy glanced at me and exchanged a look with Jason. Jason shook his head.

"There's no time. Go," Jason demanded. Percy nodded and took off towards the sea.

I watched, mesmerized, as he entered the water but never slowed his pace. Slowly, he began to gain speed and I noticed his legs fusing together to form what appeared to be a shiny scaled green tail. Percy sped towards the shape in the distance that was beginning to float closer to shore. He grasped onto the object, hoisting it onto his back, and made his way back to the beach. As he neared the shore, I stared with my mouth open in astonishment as his tail separated back into human legs and he ran up the beach carrying the body.

While Percy had gone out into the water, Jason had gone into the infirmary to inform Will. They appeared now, carrying a stretcher between them for the newcomer. Percy was quick to deposit the body and then it was whisked away to be treated.

I sprinted after them, wanting to catch a glimpse at the washup. Inside my mind, I prayed to the gods that it was one of my crew and that at the same time it wasn't. I so desperately needed to know that I wasn't only one to survive. But I also knew that I wouldn't be able to survive the burden of another death on my hands.

The stretcher was carried onto the infirmary and placed on a bed, where Will and a team of other doctors promptly went to work. Jason stepped outside the room and shut the door behind him. I stood in front him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Let me see the body," I said, standing up straight.

"I can't let you do that, Annabeth," Jason said with kind eyes.

"It could be one of my crew," I begged, raising a desperate look to my face.

"I know. And that's why can't let you go in there," Jason replied. I knew he was right. The anticipation may be torture, but it would be knowledge of the actual truth that would kill me.

"Jason, please. I know I shouldn't, but I just, I need to know. Please. I just have to know. I can deal with the truth. I'll find a way to. But I have to know," I trembled.

Jason stared down at me for a long time. I never broke eye contact with him, giving everything I had to ignore the loud voices barking orders within the room. Finally, after what seemed like eons, Jason stepped aside. As I reached for the doorknob, Jason placed his hand on my shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. I looked at him. He nodded reassuringly and I turned the knob, gently pushing the door open.

The noise within the room silenced until all that was left was the roaring in my ears. The doctors rushing about ceased to exist, disappearing into the blurry background as I stepped closer to the table.

Laying on the sheets, pale as snow, hair splayed out onto the table, yet still as beautiful as ever lay the one person I had so monstrously wished I would never see again.

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 **So that's the story. JK. That's not the end. It could be, if you guys don't tell me what you actually think. I need to know that you guys are out there and are actually reading. So many authors have stopped writing because they feel like no one actually reads their stuff and I don't want to be like one of them, so please please say something. It really does make my day. Even a simple "hi. how are you?" is perfect. I just need to know you're there. (Do I sound too clingy? Oh well.) Anyway, hope you enjoyed and love you all!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Another chapter is here! This one is a direct continuation of the last chapter. No timeskip. So go back and reread last chapter if you forgot what happened. Lots of new information to be discovered, so stop reading this and go read the actual chapter!**

 **I don't own PJO/HoO.**

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I clapped a hand over my mouth and stepped away until my back hit the wall behind me. Jason peeked inside and saw my condition. He gently pulled me out of the room and sat me down in a chair.

"Percy," he called out to the man who had just appeared in the hallway. Percy walked towards us, taking in my appearance. "Can you take her home? I think she should get some sleep," Jason told him. Percy nodded and reached for me.

I let him help me up, only to have my legs buckle underneath me. Percy managed to catch me before I hit the ground. He wrapped an arm behind my knees and my back and lifted me up. Slowly, he carried me back to the guest house and lay me down in my bed.

Percy pulled the blankets up and tucked them under my chin. He turned to leave when I slid my arm out and latched onto his wrist. He stopped and looked at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't go," I whispered. "I don't want to be alone." Percy nodded and then lifted up the blankets so he could slide underneath. I turned so I lay on my right side, facing the large window, so we could both fit comfortably on the bed. Percy wrapped his arms around me, chest pressed against my back, and I quietly drifted off to sleep, comforted by the warmth of his body.

 _I opened my eyes to find myself sitting behind my desk, cheek resting against the cool wooden surface. The door slammed open and I jerked my head up. Piper stood in the doorway, panting._

" _Captain, you've got to come see this! We're being followed by an entire fleet of the Royal Navy's best ships. I don't know how they found us. Must have been while we were ashore. But that doesn't matter. They're after us and they're closing in fast. Come quick!" Piper exclaimed before turning and running back out onto the main deck._

 _I stood and followed her out. There were indeed hundreds of Royal Ships speeding towards us. "Captain!" I heard a familiar voice call out from behind me. I turned slowly and found a smiling blonde man staring at me._

" _Malcolm," I breathed out. He raised an eyebrow._

" _That's me. What do you need me to do?" he asked. I gaped at him for a second before realizing how strange I looked with my mouth hanging open._

" _Umm. Give me a second. I need to plan. Just release all the sails and try to give as much of a speed boost as possible," I ordered, my voice far more steady than I. Turning, I headed back into my office, giving all I had not to wrap him up in a hug then and there._

 _I sank down onto my bed. Had everything that had happened all been just a dream? Was it a premonition? A vision of the future? What might happen should I choose to enter the storm? I couldn't decide whether I wanted it to be a dream or not. I never wanted my crew to die, but life in that village was paradise. And Percy. To have everything between us all made up in my mind. A small, terrible part of me wanted to head into the storm. But at the same time. I couldn't sentence my crew to an execution. Not after all they'd done for me. Especially Piper._

 _I straightened my coat and stepped back outside. Sure enough, a storm was brewing in the distance. Malcolm ran up to me._

" _Captain! I have a plan!" he shouted. "We should head into that storm. It looks like a small one, but the kingdom won't risk damaging their more precious ship. Athina is strong. She can take it," Malcolm explained, excited at having come up with such a brilliant plan._

" _No," I ordered strictly. His face fell. I decided to let go of everything and scooped him up in a long hug. "Trust me, dear cousin. It's for the best," I whispered into his ear. He nodded into my shoulder. I gave him one last squeeze and then let go. "We'll head forward. Avoid the storm. I have a feeling we'll be okay," I said, remembering the singing I'd head from my 'dream'._

 _Malcolm looked at me confused and then saluted. He was about to head up to the wheel when I stopped him. "Malcolm." He turned and looked at me. "I love you," I said, realizing how little I'd said those three words in my whole life._

" _Love you too, Captain," Malcolm saluted again and then ran back to the wheel. I scoured the ship until I found the man I was looking for._

" _Beckendorf!" I called. The dark skinned man stopped what he was fixing and looked at me._

" _Captain," he said in his deep voice, saluting. I let out a sigh and then hugged him. He wasted no time in hugging me back. As tough as he looked, Beckendorf was a man of kindness and love._

" _I love you, Beckendorf. You know that, right?" I told him, releasing him._

" _Of course, but you know my heart lay with Silena," he joked. I smiled ruefully._

" _Ah. I was hoping you'd changed your mind about her. Oh, well. I suppose one of the Stolls will have to to do," I joked. He laughed._

" _Good luck with that," he teased. I chuckled and then left to continue my mission. I found Silena in the guest quarters, sobbing into a pillow._

" _Hey there," I said quietly. She sat up immediately, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes._

" _Captain. You're here. I thought you would be upstairs handling the… situation," she said._

" _Silena. It's okay," I said. I walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. She looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "I forgive you. I understand. And I forgive you. I know you never intended for this to happen and I know you love Beckendorf with all your heart. You two have my blessing."_

" _You- you know?" she asked._

" _Yes. I do. And I know you were forced into it. It's alright. You're forgiven. The situation is taken care of. Everyone is safe and no one else knows. You may tell them in your own time," I said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder._

" _Thank you, Captain," she whispered. I patted her on the back and left her alone. As I made my way up the stairs to the main deck, Piper ran down and bumped into my shoulder._

" _Piper!" I called after her. She stopped and turned towards me._

" _Captain?" she asked._

" _I- I love you," I said._

" _Love you, too," she said. "Is everything okay?"_

" _Yeah… yeah. Everything's fine. Great. Just, stay alive, okay?" I asked._

" _Of course, Annabeth. I, uh, I have to go now. Beckendorf needs my help. But after that, I want to talk with you. You seem off," Piper said._

" _Okay, Pipes," I said._

" _Annabeth," a voice called from above. I made my way up to the main deck to search for the source of the voice. "Annabeth," the voice called again, this time from behind me. I turned around to find empty space where the person should have been. "Annabeth," I heard once more. The ship started shaking and the sky clouded over. Rain fell in buckets and the wind howled so loud I thought I would go deaf._

" _Malcolm? Malcolm! I told you not to go in the storm!" I yelled out. I ran up the stairs to the steering deck, pushing my wet hair out of my face. Fighting the wind, I climbed the steps to the deck. Malcolm stood behind the wheel, steering us straight into the heart of the storm._

" _Malcolm!" I called out, screaming to be heard above the screeching wind. The blonde figure turned his head, wet locks swinging away from his forehead as a grin formed on his face. I stepped closer to him and then stood rooted to the floor as his face registered in my brain._

" _Malcolm? Is he the other guy? In that case, Malcolm's dead. You're mine now, my sweet. All mine," he sneered, taking his hands off the wheel and approaching me in slow, agonizing steps. Each step he took made my heart beat faster and faster, until after what seemed like centuries, he reached me and placed his hand on my arms, just below the shoulder._

" _Have you been a bad girl, Annabeth?" he asked, sliding his arms around until he had me in what looked like an embrace but felt like an entrapment._

" _Let me go!" I yelled, finally finding my voice. I thrashed around in his arms, but everytime I moved his grip grew tighter._

" _Let you go? Never, my sweet. I saved you, don't you remember? You owe me your life. I love you. I loved you when no one else did. You have no one, my sweet. No one but me. And I'm never leaving," he whispered in my ear, breath hot against my ear._

 _I struggled harder. The rain fell in sheets, masking my tears. His grip grew tighter until it felt as though I was suffocating. My breaths came in short gasps. Everything was so hot and sticky and closed in. I blinked and suddenly we were falling into the sea. His hold never loosened and try as I might, there was no way to reach the surface. I could feel the waters pulling us down deeper into the dark depths._

 _Suddenly a cool touch and everything was white._

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 **Aaaaaaahhhhhhh. Who could that guy possible be? Find out soon! (Please keep reading. I'm so lonely.) Anyways, hope you enjoyed!. As always, please review with your thoughts (just whatever you're thinking as you're reading) and I love you all!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Two chapters in one day! Yay me! And you! For being so supportive! I don't know why I'm shouting! Maybe cuz I'm excited! Two chapters! Percabeth! Yay! Enjoy and review, my loves!**

 **I'm not Uncle Rick. If I was, I wouldn't be hiding under the covers writing fanfiction at 2 in the morning while high on coffee. Wait. Maybe I am Uncle Rick. Guess you'll never know... JK. I'm not a dude. Last I checked, I don't have an Adam's Apple.**

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My eyes flew open and I thrashed around trying to escape whatever was tying me down.

"Annabeth. Annabeth! Annabeth, calm down! It's me, Percy!" a voice yelled from above. I slowed my movements to realize that I wasn't sinking to the floor of the ocean. I squirmed around to find myself tangled in my sheets, and pinned down by Percy.

"There you are. I was wondering when you'd wake up. Here, let me help," he offered as I untangled myself from the sheets. I batted his hand away and glared. He nodded understandingly and sat back.

Once I'd freed myself and my heart rate had gone down considerably, I sat up and leaned against the wall. Percy hadn't moved from his position. He sat on the far side of the bed, graciously giving me the space I needed. I made a mental note to thank him for that later.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing that I'd calmed down some.

"No," I answered quietly, flashes of the nightmare playing in my head.

"Will you be okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I whispered, turning my head to look out the window. My room had a clear view of the ocean, and the waves outside rolled gently against the shore, so different from the ones of my dream.

"Do you want me to leave?" Percy asked. I shook my head, wrapping my arms around my knees and bringing them up to my chin. He scooted over to me slowly, waiting to see if I would push him away. I stayed still and allowed him to sit in front of me. "Do you want to talk?" he questioned.

"Yeah," I said softly. "Why do you have a tail?"

Percy looked surprised at my seemingly random question. "Uh, it's a long story," he answered.

"I've got nothing else to do today. Just wait for the infirmary to come and talk to me," I said, putting my knees back down and crossing my legs. Percy studied my face and saw that I was determined to get this information out of him one way or another.

"I'm not fully human," he started, clearly trying to find a way to tell the tale.

"I got that," I interrupted. Percy stared at me. "Sorry. No more interruptions," I conceded.

"I'm a siren," Percy said. "Sort of. My father is a god. Poseidon, to be exact. I'm not really like those other all-powerful demigods. Most of those powers went to his legitimate son, Triton. I can transfer between human and siren. By siren, I don't mean the kind that sings sailors to their death. That's what we call all of us who have tails and human tops.

"Singing is something only a select few can do, and those are the only ones that go out and drown sailors. It's why sirens are typically depicted as evil creatures. Because the only ones humans know of are the ones that can sing. Sirens are usually peaceful creatures. We only go out and attack if necessary.

"My father doesn't pay too much attention to me. He has a lot of more important matters to deal with. And he has his real family to spend time with," Percy said, the abandonment clear in his voice. I placed hand over his in empathy. I knew what it was like to have a father leave for a new family.

"So I just went about my business," Percy continued, looking out the window. "Eventually, around the time I was 12 or so, I got tired of staying in the water. My father didn't even bat an eye when I took my first steps on land. I started to explore the world, traveling from place to place, hitching rides on navy ships and pirate ships alike. Sometimes swimming. It was lovely. I got to learn so much and meet so many new people. I made good money through drinking games. Being half god, alcohol doesn't really affect me. You saw that when we first met.

"It didn't take long for me to grow tired of exploration as well. I loved seeing new places, but by the time I was 15, I needed some meaning in my life. So I searched around until I stumbled upon this place. No one ever really goes looking for Astoria. You end up here. All of us were at our lowest points when we found our way to this shore. I'm sure it was the same for you. It's how we all get along so smoothly. We understand each other. And though we might not know all the details, we know what it feels like to hit rock bottom. It's why we never turn away a person that shows up here. Sure we have the whole 'process', but that's really all for show. If you're here, it's because you deserve to be here. To have some peace.

"When I got here, I was ashamed of my heritage. My father had never really acknowledged my existence. I had power in the kingdom of the ocean, being the son of Poseidon, but it's didn't mean much when you're constantly the main topic of gossip in the court. The people here accepted me. Showed me kindness. And when I told them about my heritage and abilities, they told me about theirs. They showed me a way to use my abilities for good. And I'll always be grateful for that.

"It's been four years since I arrived here. A few months ago, I got an anonymous tip. It told me about you. And what was coming. I knew the Navy was going after your ship," Percy stopped here, his voice catching on the last few words. By this point, I was sitting next to him, facing the window, my head on his shoulder and my left arm wrapped around his back. Percy slid his arm around me and held me close to him. It wasn't the same as the dream. This hold was comforting. A reassurement that I wasn't alone. The sun had started to set and was already half hidden by the horizon, its light coloring the sky in varying shades of purple and red.

"You don't have to continue. It's okay," I whispered to him.

"No. No, I have to finish saying this," Percy insisted. I remained silent so he could continue. "I wasn't really sure who you were at that time, but I knew I couldn't let the Navy capture your ship. You may have been pirates, but you never harmed more than you needed to. I rounded up a handful of Singers who I knew I could trust and took them to where I was told the Navy was going to embark from. By the time we got there, they had already left. We swam as fast as we could in the direction they were headed, but by the time we'd caught up with them, you'd already entered the storm.

"I told the Singers to do their worst. I hated the Navy and I hated myself for not getting there faster. I was so angry. I could tell by the water currents that the storm would be a bad one, and that you're ship had no chance of surviving it. I swam after your ship as fast as I could, but it was too late. The waters were too rough. I couldn't get there in time. I'm so sorry. You were the only face I knew. So you were the one I reached for first. You had already sunk so under the waves that I couldn't tell whether you would live or not, but I had to try. I owed it to you. And your crew. At the very least, their captain should live. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Annabeth. It was all my fault. If only I'd gotten there sooner. You all would have lived," Percy whispered the last few lines, his face full of sorrow and guilt.

"It's not your fault. It's mine. I should never have chosen to enter the storm. I was a pirate captain for years. I should have known how to judge a storm," I admitted, lifting my head to look at Percy's face.

"No. Don't blame yourself. It was not your fault," Percy stated, staring at me with his bright cerulean eyes.

"Neither was it yours," I whispered, exploring his beautiful face with my eyes and moving my hand to his cheek. He followed suit, caressing my face with his hands.

Percy leaned closer, and my eyelids fluttered shut.

At that exact moment, the door slammed open.

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 **So yep. Still no kiss. Bu lots of sad Percy and background. It's finally piecing together! This is great. So excited. Only like seven more chapters to go. Actually, I'm not really sure how many more chapters. I'm kind of making this up as I go. Oh well. The life of a writer. As always, please review and I love you all!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Long time no read, peeps! Have a handy dandy chapter here for you all! Enjoy and please tell me what you think! Love you all! I don't own the series.**

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I jerked away from Percy, sitting up straight. The intruder cleared his throat.

"Frank, hi. Um, what is it?" I said awkwardly. Frank had his head turned to the side, avoiding eye contact with both me and Percy.

"Your, uh, front door was open. I knocked, but no one answered. So I just let myself in. I heard talking in here, so I just walked in. I'm, uh, sorry for interrupting your, um, whatever. Are you both, um, fully clothed?" Frank rambled, squeaking the last few words. His cheeks had turned pink and I realized what it must have looked like to him.

"Frank! Yes, of course we're dressed. Don't be gross!" I said, throwing a pillow at his face. Frank caught the pillow easily and lifted his head so he could see the both of us.

"What do you need, Frank?" Percy asked, clearly a little annoyed that the moment had been ruined.

"Oh! Right, I totally forgot. Your friend is alive. I can take you to see," Frank said to me. I scrambled off the bed and grabbed a shawl for the night chill. Tugging on my slippers, I followed Frank out to the infirmary. He led to one of the rooms in the long hallway and stood outside, allowing me to enter alone.

I took a breath. Shutting my eyes, I turned the doorknob and pushed open the wooden door. The room was sparsely furnished, with a small dresser in the corner, a window on the back wall, and a small table and chair by the bed. The bed was small, in the center of the room with its headboard against the wall, under the wall. And on the bed, the only person who mattered right then.

"Piper," I breathed.

She lay still, save for the soft rise and fall of her chest. Her hair was splayed over the pillow, tangled and matted with seawater. Her cheeks had sunken in and she was so frail it seemed as though at any moment she would turn to dust and fly away with the wind. Still, she was beautiful.

I pulled up the chair and sat next to her, gently holding her hand with my two. She fidgeted in the bed, and scrunched her eyebrows as she awoke from her slumber. Gradually, her eyelids opened, and her bleary eyes shifted around the room before they fixated on my face.

Her cracked lips parted as though she was trying to say something. I placed a finger over her mouth.

"Shh. Don't say anything. You're throat needs some time to heal. You're safe now. You're alive. I'm alive, too. The doctors here fixed you up. We did it, Piper. We made it to paradise. Like we always said we would. We're safe here. You should rest now. I'm going to stay right here," I whispered to her, remembering how painful loud sounds were after waking. Piper nodded and then closed her eyes. Within seconds, her breathing returned to a steady rhythm. I lay my head down on the bed and soon I was asleep as well.

 _Percy POV_

Annabeth had rushed off to see her friend, leaving me alone in her room. Standing, I made my way back to my room. I pushed open the door and went over the small fountain on the bedside table. Sighing, I tossed a golden coin into the mist of the fountain. Stating the name of the person I was trying to reach, I sat down in a chair and waited for the call to connect.

"Percy," a deep voice spoke. Poseidon's face appeared through the mist, old and withered, but smooth as if the water had whittled away all the imperfections.

"Father," I acknowledged.

"It's so nice to see you, my boy," Poseidon began.

"Don't start that with me. It might have worked with your wife, but not me. Now why did you want me to call?" I demanded, annoyed at his attempt at small talk. I clearly hated him and he clearly wished I'd never been born.

"Straight to business it is then," his voice turned serious. "There's a newcomer. A girl."

"Yes. Annabeth's crew member. She arrived recently," I admitted.

"I meant Annabeth herself," Poseidon clarified.

"What do you want with her?" I asked, curious to know why he was asking.

"She's not who you think she is," Poseidon said.

"I know that. She's a pirate captain," I stated, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Not that. That's old news, son," he said.

"Don't call me son," I interrupted. I ran a hand through my hair, fiddling with the seashell necklace in my pocket with the other. "Get to the point," I said.

"Alright. Annabeth is wanted for a reason other than being a pirate. She's royalty," Poseidon said. "She's the missing princess. You know who I'm talking about."

"The Runaway Princess of Kyna. I've heard the stories. She escaped the kingdom with her handmaiden and was never seen again. Are you saying that's Annabeth?" I asked, incredulous.

"It may seem difficult to believe now, but how much of her past do you really know?" Poseidon countered.

"She just said that she was from the capital of Kyna and had a bad childhood. That could mean anything. The capital is a huge city and I'm sure there are many people named Annabeth there, after the princess. You can't possible believe it's her," I retorted, though internally I couldn't help but doubt the words I spoke.

"She fits the description and age. Her ship was named Athina, after her mother who she only heard stories of. She was escaping the Royal Navy of Kyna when she chose to enter a storm to avoid capture. That shows desperation. And of course, my sources are never wrong," Poseidon stated.

"Even if it is true, why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"Kyna pledges its allegiance to Athena, even with its status as a coastal country with major sea trade. Returning the lost princess would turn the favor in our direction, and truly help the kingdom," Poseidon said.

"You mean, your direction. I'm going to have nothing to do with this," I clarified.

"Not only will Kyna favor us, but there's another king who has put a price on her head. He wants her back in place desperately, though he won't say why, and he's willing to pay anything. This is why I'm telling you. I need you to be the one to capture her and take her home. She trusts you. Use that trust," he told me.

"Like you did with Mom?" I snarked, a cruel grin forming on my face. The determination in his eyes faltered for a second.

"That has nothing to do with this," he defended.

"It has everything to do with this! This is exactly what you did with Mom! Only you had the nerve to knock her up first," I snarled, my hand clutched tightly around the necklace in my pocket to point where my knuckles had gone white. "She trusted you! She loved you! She died for you! And the worst part is, you let it happen. All for your stupid reputation. The God of the Sea doesn't have affairs. Well here I am! I'm the proof that you're not perfect and you hate it! You couldn't get over yourself for one second to realize that you had a son who needed you, who had no one else but the father that denied his existence! To realize that you had a woman who really loved you for you and not your status! She died because of you! You used her!" I screamed at him, hot, salty tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Son-" he started.

"Don't you dare call me that," I growled, waving my hand through the mist to end the call. I sank down into my mattress. Trembling I gently pulled the seashell necklace out of my pocket. It was all I had left of my mother, all I ever had. I had always kept it with me, safe in my pocket. Holding it up by the string, I studied the shell in the dim light of the candle. Down the middle of the shell, a hairline crack had formed.

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 **Soooooo, yeah. *English teacher voice* Okay, guys, so what does the shell symbolize? Hahahahaha. I haven't slept in 26 hours. Anyway, love you all and thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello my lovelies! This chapter is sort of a filler and not. Plenty of background info here. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I love you all!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own PJO/HoO.**

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 _Unknown POV_

I stared down at the mewling bundle in my arms. He looked very much like I, less so his father. His black wisps of hair and large eyes matched mine. Mother had always warned me from sleeping with strange men, but… the way he looked at me, treated me. So full of love and adoration. It was like coming up for air after I'd been drowning for years.

The babe wailed once more, and with a sigh, I allowed it to suckle.

"Perseus. My little hero," I whispered to him. As if recognizing his name, he opened his wide doey eyes. As he finished his meal, I pulled my dress sleeve back over my shoulder and bounced him in my arms.

"What am I going to do with you, my dear?" I asked him. He garbled at me, wiggling his fingers in happiness. I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face as I pushed my dark curls from my face to get a better look at him.

No, he had his father's eyes. A bright sea green hue, as if containing the entire ocean itself.

A dripping noise distracted me. I looked toward the roof of the cavern and found the source. I placed Percy in his crib and dried the wet spot with a towel. The cavern was a very nice place to stay. It was the size of a large sitting room. Poseidon had provided me with a bed and blankets for myself and a crib for Percy. He set up a small kitchen for me to feed myself and sent servants to clean out the chamber pot everyday. A small fire burned in the corner, warming the cavern, and a rocking chair sat in front of it. Small orbs of light illuminated the cavern, and I could control how dim they were by telling them. It was dry in the cavern, with only the occasional pool of water.

Yes, it was nice in the cavern. But it was not permanent. I would be free of this place soon enough. I walked over the crib and picked up my son swaddled in his blankets.

"Don't you worry, dear," I cooed to him. "You father will be back soon enough. He promised he would take care of business in the palace and then come for us. He has a wife, you see. And a son. But he doesn't love them. Not like he loves us. That was his duty. We are his family. Soon, he will be rid of them and we will join him in the palace. No more cavern for us, my love. It will be any day now. In fact, he should be here to visit us very soon."

I stared outside. A translucent bubble wall protected the cavern from the ocean. Through it, I could see the refracted blue of the sea and the hundreds of fish that swam by, as well as keep track of time by watching the changes in light. Though I would not show it for my son, I was starting to grow worried. It was growing dark out, and Poseidon had yet to visit. I could sense something wasn't right. Growing fearful, I hugged Percy to my chest and sat in the rocking chair, on the far side of the cavern.

I could see a shape approaching the cavern, but the bubble wasn't clear and I couldn't recognize the figure. I did know that it was not my love. A loud bang was heard as the figure attempted to break through the bubble. My heart began to race and I quickly put my plan into action. Poseidon had told me of the dangers of the ocean, and I had prepared for enemies.

I pushed my bed away from the cavern wall to reveal a small nook, just big enough for Percy to rest comfortably. The creature outside banged into the bubble again. It looked like a krait, one of the most violent and dangerous creatures of the sea. I could sense that it would not hold forever. I pulled out my stationary from a drawer in the kitchen and hurriedly wrote my son a letter, explaining the situation and how much I loved him. I knew there was a possibility that I may spend the rest of my life in this cavern.

I folded the letter and tucked it into Percy's blankets, so it was snug. I placed him in the nook and then brushed a hand over his cheek as he babbled happily at me, not quite understanding what was happening. I took his tiny hand and pressed it to my lips.

"I love you, Perseus. Be brave, alright? Mama needs you to be her brave little boy now. I love you, Percy. You'll never know how loved you are. I love you so much. Don't you worry now. I'm sure your father is on his way right this second. You'll see. He'll come and save us from whatever is trying to come in. But right now, I need you to be brave. Hush, little one. Mama needs you to be you to be quiet now," I whispered to him, pressing a kiss to his hand and then his chubby little face. The creature outside pushed relentlessly against the wall.

With tears in my eyes, I took off the seashell necklace and tucked it into his swaddling as well. It was beautiful. A shell that went from sea green at the top to sand colored on the bottom, tied to a leather string. My good luck charm. Now I felt as though Percy would need it more.

"I love you," I whispered, as I pushed the bed back in front of the nook. I grabbed my sword from where it hung on the wall and tied my hair back with a ribbon. I may not stand a chance, but I was going to go down fighting.

The bubble cracked, and the creature slipped through. The water didn't enter, but something far more dangerous had. There was not one, but two of these reptilian creatures. The appeared to be some form of hydra, with only one head each. They slithered over to where I stood in the center of the room.

"My, what a precious little thing," one rasped to the other.

"What do you want?" I asked, my hand on the hilt of my sword.

"Don't even try with that little pin. It won't harm us. Where's Poseidon?" one questioned.

"Who's asking?" I retorted, though I truly had no idea where he was.

"That's none of your business, dollface. Where is he?" he asked again.

"In his palace," I answered, knowing that they wouldn't dare enter the heavily fortified building.

"Figures. Where's your son?" the other asked as he circled around me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I claimed, internally cringing as he ran a slimy hand down my face.

"Of course you do. We know all about your little babe. Now, where is he?" he asked again, gripping my chin with a scaled hand.

"Visiting his father, in the palace," I spat out, wrenching my chin from his grip.

"Feisty. Quite a nice one he's left for us, wouldn't you say, Damos?" he asked.

"Indeed, Nimros. So much better than the other tributes Poseidon has left for us in the past," Damos replied.

"Tribute? That's not right. I live here. Poseidon loves me. I'm the mother of his child," I questioned.

"So is Amphitrite. And she's a goddess. Did you really think Poseidon would fall for you, a lowly mortal? You're more naive than the others we've collected. It was a trap! Poseidon leaves offerings for us so that we pledge allegiance to him and his kingdom grows stronger. He also owes us a large debt, which he pays in tributes. He doesn't love you. He used you. And he happened to sleep with you, which just postponed your fate for a year. But it's collection time. You are the last tribute required to pay off his debt. He promised us that it would be the best of them all. And you look simply ravishing," Nimros hissed.

I tried to move my arm, but found myself immobile. "An immobilization spell. A simple cautionary measure," Damos explained.

"We really would have preferred your son. The son of a god. Imagine the raw power. And still so young and tender. It's not too late. You may exchange yourself for your son," Nimros offered.

"Never," I spat through clenched teeth. Poseidon may have betrayed me, but I would never betray my son.

"Very well then. It's time to go," Damos said. They each grabbed an arm and Nimros formed an air bubble around my head so I could breathe. They led me out of the cavern and we swam away into the deep waters of the ocean. Though we had moved far, I still turned my head to look back at the cavern as if I might be able to catch a glimpse of Percy once more.

Nimros tapped me on the head while chanting a spell and I fell unconscious.

 _Another POV_

I watched in despair as Sally was led away by the krait. My tail fin twitched in sadness. I waited until they had disappeared into the darkness before I swam down into the cavern. I slipped through the bubble with each and found everything perfectly in place, as though nothing had ever happened. A letter sat on the counter, addressed to me. I sat down in the rocking chair and opened it.

 _Dearest Poseidon,_

 _There is something outside and it is trying to break in. I believe it to be a krait. I have hidden Percy, but I do not write his location should this letter fall into enemy hands. I must hurry, for they are breaking the bubble at an alarming speed. I know you will arrive before anything happens to me and Percy. You will swoop in with your majestic godly self and save us from the krait. Still, should something happen, I write this letter to you._

 _I want you to know that I love you. Though I have only known for a year and a half, I cannot help but believe that you are the one for me. You are such a good father to Percy, and in case I do not make it out alive, I want you know that I believe you will be a wonderful father for our son. I know you can raise him to be great man. I must hurry now. They are nearly here now. I love you, Poseidon._

 _Signed,_

 _Your Love, Sally Jackson_

I folded the letter and placed it gently back into its envelope. A wail echoed through the cavern and I located its source to be behind the bed. I pulled the bed away from the wall and found a red face Percy screaming at the top of his lungs inside a little nook. I pulled him out and found a bottle of milk in the pantry. I heated it over the fire and then fed it to Percy while awkwardly holding him in my arms.

How did Sally teach me? Every time I visited, she would place Percy in my arms and then help me hold him correctly, teaching me what parts to support and where to provide balance for the infant. And every time I did it wrong, she would laugh and take him from me, showing me the right way to hold him. It wasn't that I was entirely unable to carry him. It was that I loved hearing Sally laugh and watching her as she walked around the cavern with him, speaking to him as though he were grown.

Once Percy had finished his meal and stopped his incessant crying, I swam with him back to the palace. I brought him to the nursery and assigned one the nurses to to be his full time nanny and caretaker. She seemed surprised as I placed the infant in her arms, but agreed to my order and took him to the room I had assigned to be his.

After that, I found myself drifting farther and farther away from him. He reminded me constantly of what I'd done to Sally. I hated myself for giving her away and I hated hating myself. I loved her, but I couldn't have love. Love meant leverage. So she had to go. But that doesn't mean I didn't regret it every single day. I left Percy in the care of the nurses and they all seemed to love him. I watched them play with him as a young child, sitting in the corner of the playroom. But as he grew older, I stayed away. He started asking questions. Questions that resurfaced memories I never wanted to relive. So I pushed him away, and focused on Amphitrite and Triton.

Amphitrite felt sympathy for him. She was aware of the number of affairs I'd had, though she would not speak of them, and she knew it wasn't his fault what I'd done to his mother. So she visited him from time to time in his quarters, bringing him small gifts and helping with his education. He still grew distant. I'm aware that it was my fault, but I still could not bring myself to acknowledge him. Acknowledging his existence meant acknowledging his mother. So I let him believe that I'd had her killed to save my own skin and that I didn't want him because he was proof that I'd had an affair. He wasn't entirely wrong.

Percy became the hot topic of gossip around the court. The Shadow Prince. Always there, but never really seen. Stuck in the shadow of his half-brother. When he left, I made no move to stop him. I had a few of my spies track him, to make sure he was alright, but after a year, I ended that as well.

It wasn't until I found out he knew Annabeth, that I deliberately contacted him.

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 **Soooo, yeah. There you go. Lots of questions answered. A little note: I wrote this at 3 in the morning because I couldn't sleep and I haven't exactly edited it, so sorry for the grammar and spelling and unedited stuff. Love you all! *hugs and cookies***


	14. Chapter 14

**A short little chapter for you. This is my first time describing 'love', so I hope I didn't totally fail at it. (Sorry if I did) As always, I hope you enjoy and I love you all! I don't own PJO/HoO.**

 **Special shoutout to Cheeselover for that review. I really appreciated and needed that, so thanks.**

 **And an even bigger second shoutout to PoppyOhare for all your 'more's. I love seeing them, so a big hug to you!**

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Percy POV

Annabeth still hadn't returned from the infirmary. It had been two days, and I found myself missing her presence in the house. With a sigh, I determined myself to visit her and her friend.

We hadn't spoken since the, er, incident, in her room that night. It's not like I didn't want it to happen, it's that I really, really did. I realized that night as I watched her disappear out the door just how much I'd fallen for her during her few days living here. The way she laughed at something really funny, like the time I'd gotten tangled in my sheets and fallen out of my bed, her head swinging forward, eyes squeezed shut and laughing so hard no sound came from her mouth as she clapped her hands together with that beautiful face stretched into a wide grin.

Or when there's something mildly funny, like when I told her a joke, and she giggles. Her grey eyes sparkle as the ends scrunch up just a bit and she covers her smile with her her hands. I wanted so desperately to reach forward and pull her hands down just to see that smile.

I love her in the morning, when she stumbles out her bedroom and into the kitchen for her morning coffee. When she fumbles around for her mug, and I have to hand it to her because I put it on the highest shelf, just so that I could give it to her in the morning. When she lazily sips at the coffee, leaning against the counter, dressed in only a large button-down. When she runs a hand through those messy blonde waves and asks me "What are you looking at?" Half-awake and grouchy, she's beautiful.

I love her in the afternoon, when she takes a quick nap, splayed across the couch with an arm tossed over her eyes and emitting light snores. When she wakes up and panics, thinking she's slept too long and I remind her of the time and she sighs in relief. When she's spread herself over the couch, intensely reading a book, stuck in her own little world. When she keeps shifting her body into awkward positions, trying to find a comfortable way to read until she ends up with feet over the back and head hanging down in the front and I have to pull her up so she doesn't pass out. When I hand her a pillow and she mutters a small "Thanks" and I realize that she might be paying attention to reality just a little bit after all. Absorbed in a book and bent out of shape, she's beautiful.

I love her at night, when she sits down with her bowl of frozen sweet cream and I with my own. When we do nothing but eat and talk late into the night, but neither of us notice because we're too busy laughing. When she picks up her spoon and taps me on the nose with it, leaving a spot of cream at the tip anytime I say something stupid or silly. When finally, long after the sun has set and the moon has risen high in the night sky, our bowls are empty and she bids me a soft "Good night", going to her room to change back into her sleep clothes. When I hear her bed creak and just a few minutes later, light snores coming from her room. Tired but happy, she's beautiful.

It was these thoughts that were running through my mind as I walked down to the infirmary. I knocked on the door and heard a soft grunt. Taking it as permission, I pushed open the door.

Annabeth was sitting next to the bed, head resting on her arms. The room was dark and I carefully made my way over to her.

"Did I wake you?" I whispered, sitting on the floor next to her.

"S'fine," she muttered, voice heavy with sleep. "What'd'ya need?" Annabeth mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"You should sleep in a bed. This isn't good for you. It's been two days," I said, gently brushing her tangled hair out of her face.

"S'fine. Piper could wake up and I gotta be here," Annabeth stated, burying her head back into her arms. The full moon outside cast a dim white light into the room, illuminating her face in a milky glow. I smiled at her childish antics. Sleepy Annabeth was one of my favorite Annabeths.

"Come on, Annabeth. Let's get you to bed," I said, scooping her up into my arms princess style. She attempted to fight me, but quickly grew tired and gave up, burying her nose into my shirt and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I gotta be there. She's gonna wake up and be alone. She got no one here," Annabeth whined, voice muffled by my shirt as I carried her back to the Guest House.

"I'm sure Piper will be fine with the doctors. You need to worry about yourself right now," I said. Annabeth just glared at me and pouted. By the time we arrived, Annabeth's breathing had turned to light snores. I tucked her into her bed and then, before I could stop myself, leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Percy," her quiet voice stopped me before I could leave. I stood in the doorway and looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," she said in a sleepy voice.

"I love you, too," I replied and then shut the door behind me. I leaned against the wooden door and took a deep breath. Well, our feelings were out in the open. Now all that was left was to see if she'd remember any of it in the morning. Deciding to leave it be for now, I climbed into my own bed and blew out the candle.

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 **So that's that! I hope you liked this short little chapter that took me forever and a day to write. Love you all and thanks for reading!**

 **A side note: Does anyone here listen to BTS? Just wondering, because I am in love with them and I want to see who else is.**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm not dead. Don't you worry. Sorry this took so long. I had a lot I wanted to fit in here, but it got too long, so I've separated them into two chapters. Also, I've had so much going on with school and life in general, but now that it's spring break, I have time to write for all you lovely readers! Thanks you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, especially to those who left those sweet messages (looking at you TheBookFiend, Athens1399, and Braderz9995) (and of course Cheeselover and PoppyOhare. you two are special.) lots of hugs for everyone and thanks for reading. I don't PJO/HoO.**

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Annabeth POV

I woke up to the smell of eggs and coffee. I stumbled out of bed and into the kitchen, where I found Percy cooking at the fire. Instead of using regular fire like we did back home, people here used Greek fire, which never burned out and was contained in a glass bowl on the counter.

"Morning," I muttered, pouring a cup of coffee.

"Morning sleepyhead," he chuckled. I raised an eyebrow at him, my head pounding. "Do you not remember anything that happened last night?" he asked. I squinted, trying to remember but only coming up with hazy visions of being carried.

"Uh, no. Just being carried," I answered. Percy's smile dropped for a second but reappeared as quick as it had gone.

"Oh. Well, you were at Piper's bed for two whole days so I carried you back here so you could sleep," Percy rushed before focusing intently on the eggs, refusing to meet my eye.

"Percy," I called. He gave a grunt in reply, still not looking at me. "What really happened last night?"

"I just told you. I carried you here and you fell asleep," he stated, scraping the eggs onto a plate.

"Then why won't you look at me?" I questioned, hopping up to sit on the counter, facing him.

"I am looking at you," he said, lifting his head to stare at my forehead.

"Percy, something happened that I can't remember and it's clearly bothering you so much you can't look me in the eye, so please, just tell me what happened," I pleaded.

"You're not going to let this go, so I might as well just tell you. I tucked you in and when I was leaving… you said that you, er, loved me," Percy told me. I blinked as I absorbed what he'd just said.

"Oh, Gods. I'm so stupid. I'm sor-" I started.

"And then I said I love you, too," Percy interrupted, looking out the window. I stared at him. "Your eggs are getting cold," he said, before turning to leave.

"Percy," I called. He stopped. "Did you mean it? When you said you loved me too?" I asked.

He turned around to look at me slowly and then stepped closer until his legs hit mine. "I did. Did you?" he whispered.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. "Yeah," I whispered. He grinned and kissed me again, this time slipping his tongue into my mouth and wrapping my hair around his fingers.

The door slammed open. I jerked away from Percy, quickly smoothing down my hair with my fingers. Hazel stood in the doorway, covering her eyes with one hand and fanning her blushing face furiously with the other.

"I-I'm sorry. Should I come back?" Hazel asked in a high-pitched voice.

"No, it's fine, Hazel. You can come in," I said, just a little bit upset that we'd been interrupted. I could sense Percy pouting. "What is it?" I asked, hopping off the counter.

"Piper is awake for real this time and she's asking for you," Hazel said, still blushing. I looked at Percy and he nodded, understanding that I had to go. I pulled on my sandals and ran down to see my friend.

Percy POV

Annabeth left again. I looked down at the cold plate of eggs sitting on the counter and sighed. Poor eggs. A ringing sounded and I traced the source to the fountain in my room. I answered the call and my father's face appeared in the mist.

"Percy," Poseidon boomed. I could tell he wasn't going to be friendly.

"What do you want now?" I asked.

"I'm done being nice. I asked you to capture the princess and you denied my request. This is no longer a request. You will capture the girl," Poseidon ordered.

"'The girl' has a name. It's Annabeth. And I'm not capturing her. You can't force me to," I retorted.

"You forget who I am. I am Poseidon, God of the Sea. I control all the creatures of the sea, and that includes you. As long as you are in siren form, I can control you. And I will not hesitate to remove your ability to become human. You may have been born with legs, but I can make sure you never have them again," Poseidon roared.

I glared at him, furious, as I harshly swiped my hand through the mist. A glass orb sat next to the fountain. I picked it up and smashed it on the ground as hard as I possible could, finding pleasure in watching the glass shatter into a thousand crystals.

Annabeth POV

Piper was sitting up in the bed, drinking a bowl of soup when I arrived. She glanced up at me before placing the empty bowl on the bedside table. She smiled weakly and I took that as an invitation to sit next to her.

"Hey Anniebeth," she croaked, her voice still hoarse after having just woken up.

"Hey Pipes," I smiled.

"Where am I? Did I die? Is this heaven? I just remember water and darkness and then you were there and you were comforting me and then more darkness," Piper explained.

"No, you're not dead. We're alive. Both of us. We survived. We're in a place called Astoria. You know the one. The city that is practically its own country. I don't know how you survived so long at sea, Piper. It's been nearly a week. I'm so happy you're alive. I've missed you so much," I said, running my hand over her hair.

"So we survived the shipwreck? That's good. It was a bit silly, I suppose, to enter the storm, but we're alive, right? That's what matters. Where are the others?" Piper asked, tilting her head to the side.

I grasped her hand tightly with my own and sorrowfully shook my head. She gasped, her eyes going wide. She pulled her hand from my grasp to cover her mouth.

"You mean-?" she asked. I nodded, tears threatening to spill.

"Oh my gods. Oh my gods. They- He- They- Gone. They- Oh my gods. All of them. No. No, they- nononono. No. Oh my gods. I- Why?" she choked out, her voice breaking on the last word as salty tears rolled down her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell rapidly and her breaths came in irregular pants. I grabbed her into my arms and held her close as she sobbed in mourning for our lost friends. Eventually, her eyes had dried and her breathing had returned to a normal pace.

I released her and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" I asked. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Well, I said that it was silly to enter the storm and I realize that you were doing it to save us from capture. I know who was after us and I get it. It's not your fault, Annabeth. You did what you had to save us. And you did. You really did save us all. You first saved us from the terrible lives we once had and then again with the storm. I'm sure everyone would agree that death is a better alternative to being captured by him. So I'm sorry. For you loss and mine. For ruining your shirt," she laughed at the last line. I looked down at my tear-soaked shirt and laughed with her. It felt nice. Laughing with her again.

"I really did miss you. So much. All this time, I thought you had left me too," I said.

"Nope. I guess you're stuck with me for a long, long time," Piper joked.

"Oh, darn. Perhaps there's still time to toss you back into the sea," I teased. Piper laughed and I laughed with her.

Suddenly, a loud alarm horn blared. I covered my ears to block out the offending noise, but had to bring them down when the door burst open.

"Come on! We've got to move fast!" Hazel screamed at us over the horn. I helped Piper stand and walked with her to Hazel. She led us outside and to the side of the building. Hazel brushed some sand on the ground out of the way with her hands and revealed a wooden hatch. She lifted the heavy door and ushered us inside. I hesitated, still not quite sure what was happening.

"Hazel, what's going on? What is this?" I shouted, the horn never ceasing.

"The horn is our signal that we're under attack. I'm not exactly sure of the details, but it appears several troops are riding toward the city at this moment. We need to get all the citizens into the safety bunkers before the attack hits. The other patients are already down there. You guys need to go to," Hazel explained. I shook my head, handing Piper over to her.

"I'm not going down there. I'm a pirate captain and I've fought before. You said yourself that I have an uncanny knack for battle strategy and fighting. I'm joining the fight. Help Piper down there while I go find the troops," I demanded. Hazel opened her mouth to argue, but quickly shut it as she realized time was running out and we needed all the fighters we could get. She assisted Piper in getting down the stairs while I ran to the Big House where I found the Council studying a large map spread over the giant table. Frank looked up when I entered the room.

"Annabeth? What are you doing here? You should be underground. There's-"

"An attack, I know. I'm here to fight," I interrupted Frank. Percy looked at me with worried eyes and I nodded my head at him,a silent confirmation that I could do this.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have another fighter with us. The invading army is coming from Itta. We don't know what they want, only that they are sending some of their best. Most likely, they are looking to conquer. We'll have to push them back and stop them from entering the center. Once they have control of this area, they have access to all parts of Astoria. Annabeth, I believe you have a history with Itta, right?" Jason asked.

"I do. I know them well," I answered.

"In that case, I want you at the head. Take the 2nd militia and head north. I'll lead the 3rd and 4th militia and take the side troop in the east while Frank takes the 5th and 6th to the west. Leo and Nico, I want you two to lead the 7th, 8th, and 9th following Annabeth as backup and support. Percy, you ride with Annabeth as you know the territory better than she does. The troops are lined up out back. Let's head out!" Jason ordered.

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 **Next chapter will be up in a few hours. Thanks for reading and see you again real** soon!)


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! So I guess when I said few hours I meant a whole day. Whoops. Sorry peeps. Anyway, here is the second part of the super long chapter. It's a little shorter than the last one, but I promise to try an upload again sometime this week. Love you all and enjoy!**

 **I don't own PJO/HoO.**

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We filed out through the back door, where the troops were lined up and our horses were waiting out back. Jason ordered an extra horse to be brought for me and when it arrived we all hopped onto them. I called for my troop and they lined up in front of me.

"Soldiers!" I yelled. "The 2nd militia! We're going to go north and face the enemy directly. I do not know who they are or what they want but they will not leave without a memory of who we are!" I cried. My soldiers cried out in agreement and I urged my horse forward, going at an easy pace so the soldiers could keep up.

We arrived near the enemy not to long after. It seemed they had already made great headway into the city. We spotted a few scouts on our way, easily picking them off. The sounds of battle reached our ears as we pressed forward and soon the sight of an enemy troop was in view. They appeared to be slowing in their destruction and I heard someone order to make camp. It made sense, as the light would soon start to fade and the night chill in this part of Astoria could freeze a man to the bone.

I slowed my horse, motioning to my soldiers to lay low. Itta was well known for its advanced military strategy. They might be good, but we would be better. There were two generals in the 2nd militia, each residing over half the troop. I called them over to explain my strategy.

"General Clarisse La Rue, I want you to take half your soldiers and draw them out. Head into the clearing. Make noise. Don't destroy anything, but let them know you're there. Call them to fight. General Sherman Yang, I want you to go around behind. While Clarisse is distracting them, you start burning. Set fire to their supplies, weaponry, anything. Take their pigeons and horses. We don't want word of the attack to spread. Everything except the Captain's Tent. There will be valuable information in there that we can use to our advantage. It's going to get dark soon. So we should set up camp for now and attack in the morning," I explained. As I finished, I could see Percy, Leo, and Nico coming closer.

"What's your plan?" Percy asked. I explained my thoughts and he agreed. Leo lit up at the mention of fire, but I told him he could only light the torches, as I knew he wasn't very good at controlling his ability quite yet. He pouted, and I nearly gave in until Nico pulled him away to find the torches.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked. He knew very little of my past, but from what he did know, it was clear that Itta was a touchy subject for me.

"Yeah. When I said I wanted to help, I meant it. I love this town and everyone in it and I will do anything to protect it, even it means fighting these people," I said, putting my hand on his arm. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I could feel his heart beating quickly to contradict his calm demeanor. This would be my first battle since the shipwreck, and I too was nervous. I buried my nose in his chest and felt him tense.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling away. He had an uncomfortable look on his face. The one where you really want to spill some secret, but you don't know if you can trust the person or not. I laced my fingers with his as a reassurement that he could trust me. He gave me a small smile in response.

"When I said I hadn't talk to my father in years, I lied," Percy started, releasing a long sigh. I nodded. That was fine.

"I still hate him, you see. But when he called me for the first time in years, I had to answer," he continued. Understandable that he would do that. "He… he told me some things. And he wanted me to do something for him. And I think I need to just get this over with."

"Whatever it is, we'll work it out. I'm here for you. Always," I answered. He gave a glance that clearly spoke _I'm not so sure about that_.

"He told me you were the Lost Princess. Princess Annabeth of Kyna. He wanted me to make you fall in love with me and then capture you to take back to your kingdom," Percy said. I dropped my hand and took a step back. Everything we had, was it all a lie?

"So there never was anything between us was there? It was all just a twisted lie so you could run back to your daddy and have his favor? I thought you were better than this. I thought you were a better man, Perseus," I spat at him, hot tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

"So you are the princess, aren't you?" he whispered, eyes widening. With that, I couldn't take it any longer. He could have least pretended like he was sorry.

"You utter bastard!" I screamed, slapping him. My hand left an ugly red handprint on his cheek that was sure to leave a mark on his stupid pretty face. "How many others?" I asked, desperately holding back the waterworks. I would not let him see me cry.

"What?" he asked.

"How many others?!" I yelled. "How many other girls have you tricked with your charms and terrible sob story?"

"Well, you see, it's not-" he started, stumbling over his words.

"I'm done. I thought I had finally found someone who loved me for who I was. But it turns out you're just like the rest. My title is more important to you than my name. Leave me alone, Percy. I'm done," I spat, spitting his name out like venom.

"An-"

"Leave!" I ordered. He slowly turned around and walked away, pausing once to see if I'd call for him and hearing nothing.

Alone and in the dark, I sunk to the ground, knees pressed to my chest, and finally let the dam break.

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 **So that's that. I know it seems a little rushed, but at least the plot is moving forward. Onward my noble story! Thanks for reading and please leave a review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm back! My school is making me take care of an electronic baby for the weekend and it cries every hour so I decided I might as well update this story since I'm not getting any sleep anyway! *cries in the corner* Anyway, here you go! Enjoy this lovely little chapter while I figure out how to make this baby shut up. Love you all! I don't own PJO/HoO.**

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I am an ugly crier. So it was no surprise to me when Nico squeaked in surprise at the sight of my once pretty face twisted into an ugly demon mask.

"Annabeth?" he asked as he approached timidly. I ceased my crying long enough to wipe my face and give a grunt in response. He held out a hand and I took it, weakly pulling myself up onto my feet.

Without a word, he led me to where the Captain's Tent had been set up and directed me inside. In the tent, a cot was set up in the corner and a desk was placed in the middle, with a large map of the area rolled out on top of the desk.

I sunk down onto the cot and Nico promised to be back with some food. He arrived shortly after, carrying a tray with lamb stew and a goblet of wine.

I gladly took the tray from him and he took a seat next to me on the cot. I ate in silence and when I finished he took the tray from me and set it down on the floor at our feet.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently. I hadn't talked to Nico often, but his presence was warm and inviting and I found myself opening up to him despite my usual demeanor. I brushed the tears from my cheeks with the sleeve of my blouse.

"It's Percy," I started. "He said some stuff and I'm just having a hard time dealing with it." Nico gave a soft hum to show he was listening and wanted me to elaborate. I pushed myself back so my legs no longer hung off the edge of the cot and my back was pressed against the wall of the tent. Nico followed me, doing the same.

"I'm going to tell you something that very few people know of. Can I trust you to keep this information to yourself?" Nico nodded, his dark eyes staring into mine. I took a breath to steady myself. "You've heard of the missing princess of course, haven't you?" I asked.

"I have. And you're the princess, aren't you?" Nico asked in return. I stared at him in surprise. "I figured it out. Your hesitance to tell us the truth of your origin. The capital of Kyna. The name Annabeth. Your expertise in military strategy no normal peasant could have been born with. How you flinch at the names of Kyna and Itta. I could go on, but I don't believe you would like me to."

"Does everyone know?" I could only ask, burying my face in my palms.

"No. I'm more observant than the others. It took Leo three days to realize you were a girl. He's not much of a people person. Prefers the workshop instead. So what happened to you out there?" Nico asked, gently pushing me to explain further.

"Well, Percy knows. He told me that his dad had told him I was the princess and to make me fall in love with him and then capture me and sell me back to Kyna. I just couldn't deal with him anymore. My whole life people have only seen me for my title. Even my stepmother. The Queen might seem nice on the outside, but she's a terrible stepmother. She only married my dad for power. I love my father, but he's weak when it comes to women. Saying no to my stepmother would have been the hardest thing for him, especially since he thought I needed a motherly figure after my mom died.

"I'd never met someone who liked me for me except for my father and Piper before I met Percy. I thought he was different. I thought he actually cared. I suppose I might have you, Nico. You knew and you didn't say anything or turn me in, so I'm assuming you just don't care," I said.

"Of course I don't care. I would gain nothing and you would be in pain, so I saw no reason to bring it up before. Speaking of Percy, you should go talk to him. You might not know the whole story. I need to go now. There's some urgent business I need to take care of, but you should talk to him," Nico said, standing up. I nodded my head and then stretched out on the cot, shutting my eyes.

I heard the tent flap close and I slowly opened my eyes. I stared up at the cloth ceiling, watching the shadows dance as the candle flickered on the table. The dark shapes twisted and spun over the surface and I could feel my vision blurring. I forced myself to sit up and shake the oncoming sleep from my eyes.

The camp was bustling with activity as I stepped out of the tent. Soldiers were scattered all over, eating dinner and laughing so loud I feared they would wake the enemy. I found Percy's tent with a few directions from one of the soldiers.

He was sitting on his cot, drinking from a goblet of wine with his back pressed to the wall and eyes shut tight. He didn't move as the cot dipped and I took a seat next to him.

"Percy," I called. His eyes blinked open then and he stretched languidly before turning to face me. He flinched in surprise as he realized there was someone next to him and I almost laughed had it not been for the reason I was here.

"Annabeth. I-" he started. I put my finger to his lips, effectively quieting the chronic rambler.

"Percy. I don't think I let you finish everything you were going to say before, so I'm here now to listen. However, you didn't present a very good case back there so I'm only giving you five minutes to fully explain yourself," I stated. He nodded his understanding I removed my hand from his face.

"Annabeth. I know I didn't sound great back there, but I what I didn't get to say was that I turned him down. My father told me to do these things to you and I couldn't. I couldn't do it, Annabeth. I had to tell you so you keep yourself safe from other people who might want to hurt you. I could never do something like that to you. Because I- I love you, Annabeth. And I've loved you since before I knew you were the princess. That doesn't matter to me. What you are doesn't matter. It never did. I love who you are, not what you are. And I don't know if I'll ever be able to express just how much I love you, but I'm never going to stop trying," Percy explained, looking me straight in the eye as he spoke every word.

I remained silent for several minutes, absorbing everything he'd just said to me. So much was happening it took me a good while to fully process his words.

"Annabeth?" he called. Waving his hand in my face, he studied my face to gauge my reaction.

"You just said you loved me," I muttered. With that, Percy's face broke into a grin and he broke down into giggles, falling on the floor. I pouted from my position on the cot and he began to laugh all over again when he saw my face.

"I just told you about the danger you're in, and that's all you took from it?" Percy laughed.

"Well, yeah. Danger is nothing new. I've been in danger my whole life. I was a pirate captain!" I defended, crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's true I suppose. Still, if you're going to be this happy every time I tell you I love you, then I'll be sure to tell you every day. No, hour!" Percy crawled back into the cot and placed his head in my lap. "Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?" he asked as I brushed his soft hair with my fingers.

"Yeah, I'm not mad at you anymore,"I said, smiling. I gently lifted his head from my lap and placed in back on the cot as he whined in disappointment. "I have to leave now. It's dark out now and if I stay any longer people will began to think things."

"So what if they think it? Maybe it'll be true," he said, lifting an eyebrow and winking at me. I hit his shoulder and pushed him back down on the bed.

"Get some sleep, Percy. We have a big day tomorrow," I laughed at his pout and left the tent. It had gotten darker outside and most of the soldiers had retired to their tents. A few were up and about, getting a drink of water or finding their way back to their tents. I stepped quietly, careful not to wake any of the sleeping soldiers.

I had nearly reached my tent when I heard noises coming from deeper in the forest, where the trees grew closer together and the only way to travel through was by foot. I tiptoed as quietly as I could, being sure not to alert whatever was there that I was approaching. It was most likely one of the enemy scouts.

The sounds grew louder as I neared a wide tree. I circled around it to find a sight that would scar me for years to come.

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 **So what do you think? Percy and Annabeth are back together, but Annabeth is about to witness something she'll wish she never saw. What do you think it is? Also, hope you enjoyed the Annabeth/Nico bonding there. I love Nico so much and I feel like he and Annabeth would be besties. Hope you enjoyed! Love you all and thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

Nico was pressed against the trunk of the tree. Another, much larger man had him held down. The sounds had come from Nico. I realized with a loud squeak what exactly I had walked in on.

Nico's eyes widened as he recognized my presence and struggled underneath the man. He somehow managed to push him off and jumped away from the man as though he was the plague.

I cleared my throat as Nico hurriedly patted down his hair and straightened his clothing. I glanced at the other man before realizing with a startle that it was Will.

"Urgent business, huh?" I teased Nico who's face had turned a bright red.

"I-uh-I-we," Nico stuttered, turning more red than I thought was humanly possible.

"It's fine, Nico. You might want to be a little quieter, though. I could hear you from the camp," I laughed as Will blushed as well. "Well, back at it, you two. Do try to get some sleep, though. We have a big day tomorrow. Don't stay up all night doing 'urgent business'."

Nico groaned and Will laughed and I decided to quit my teasing and leave them alone.

 _The Next Day_

"Jason! We get it already. We've gone over this plan fifty times. If we don't attack soon, this will have all been for naught. Let's go!" Hazel scolded, directing everyone to their position. Jason opened his mouth to argue, but obediently followed Hazel's orders.

I mounted my horse and found my troops lining up behind me. I saw the three flashes of light from my right, the signal to charge, and rode straight into the middle of the camp. My troops began setting things on fire and battling the enemy soldiers, who had been unprepared for an attack but quickly geared up.

I headed straight for the captain's tent. It was located at the far end of the camp, in an empty clearing. I slid off my horse and patted her on the head. The tent flap opened and an unfortunately familiar man stepped through.

"Ethan," I whispered. He grinned at me.

"Annabeth, what a pleasure to see you again, milady," he snarked, adding the extra milady to mock me.

"Get out of my way, Ethan. This doesn't concern you," I demanded, taking a step forward. He copied my action, reaching behind his back to place a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Any matter concerning my captain concerns me, milady." I drew my sword as he drew his.

"If a fight is what you want, then that is what you shall get," I warned. He merely grinned and winked at me.

I lunged forward nicked his wrist, causing him to drop his sword. In an instant, I flipped him around and had my sword pressed against his neck. He stepped on my foot with the pointed heel of his shoe, forcing me to gasp in pain and weaken my hold. He slipped out with ease and grabbed his sword from the dirt. Just as he leapt up to lunge for me, he fell to the side and blood began to pool around his middle. I stared at him and noticed an arrow protruding from his chest.

"He's dead," I heard from my left. Frank stood next to me with a bow in his hands, staring at Ethan's body. I placed my hand on his shoulder. We'd both been hoping to minimize casualties.

"You did the right thing. Go, now. And be careful, Frank," I urged. He nodded at me and ran in the opposite direction to rejoin the fight.

I brushed the dirt from my trousers and stepped towards the tent. With a deep breath, I pushed open the tent flap. Luke was hunched over a desk, scribbling messy words down onto a piece of old parchment. He looked up as I entered.

"Annabeth?" he whispered. He had changed from the young man I'd remembered him as. The clean shaven, spoilt brat I'd known who'd tortured me to no end was not the person sitting in front of me. This Luke was tired. He had a thick layer of stubble coating his face and his hair had grown out long.

"That's right," I said. He stood up in a hurry and I flinched at the sudden movement. He noticed.

"Annabeth, please. I didn't want this. I never wanted this. I was wrong. I know that now. I was wrong," he pleaded. I lowered my sword, but kept it tight in my grip.

"You were wrong?" I asked, incredulous. "That's all you have to say for yourself? You suffocated me! You trapped me in your little controlling sphere and I had no way of getting out of it. Your lies, the things you did to me, I still have nightmares about it!"

His expression changed. Eyes lowered, head tilted to the side, mouth curved into a rueful smile. I'd seen that expression so many times before. I'd worn it myself. He pitied me. Fury bubbled up inside me, but I pressed it down.

"We can't change the past, Annabeth. But that doesn't mean it has to affect our future. Come closer. Please. I was forced into it by my adoptive father. Kronos made me do those things to you. That's not who I-" he never got to finish his words as blood gurgled out of his mouth. We looked down at the same time at the dagger stabbed through his middle. The weapon was quickly removed and he fell to floor, bleeding out freely. Behind him stood an old man. Kronos.

"Always too talkative that one. He really did like you. Shame. He would have been a great king. Before you ask, yes it's true. Everything he said. You would be the perfect prize. Perhaps I'll take you as my wife. Should I do that before or after I slaughter your soldiers?" he asked, stepping closer to me. I stood frozen in my place as he approached. "So young and beautiful. Perfect," he said, reaching out his hand to stroke my cheek.

The second his skin touched mine, the trance broke and I jumped away, swinging my sword up. Kronos chuckled darkly. "A fight for your affection, then?" he asked, laughing without an ounce of mirth, raising his dagger.

"I." A stab. A dodge. "Hate." Another stab. Another dodge. "You." A final swing, one too fast for him to avoid. One that sliced him in two almost clean pieces. I stuck my sword in the soil and pulled it out, the dirt wiping my blade clean of blood. "And you're dead to me." I spat upon his body and exited the tent.

"Kronos and Luke are dead!" I announced at the top of my lungs. The sounds of battle died down as those closest to me absorbed the information. Looking around, most of the enemy army was dead or dying. My own soldiers were tired and bleeding, but definitely more alive. Silently, I mounted a horse and rode back to the town, tears filling my vision as the emotional burden of the day overcame me.

….

7 years later

I swung the door open as a blur of energy pounced upon me. I stumbled a few steps back, almost falling off the porch. "Mommy! You're home! I missed you so so much. Daddy can't cook like you. I had to pretend to like his food, but don't tell him that," my daughter loudly whispered to me. I looked up with raised eyebrows at Percy who stood leaned against the doorframe. He shrugged with a smirk and opened his arms for a hug.

I put down the five year old and embraced my husband. He pressed a short kiss to my lips, to which the little girl squealed about cooties. "Emily and I missed you," he said.

"I missed you, too," I said, slipping my left hand into his right and holding onto Emily with my free hand. We entered the house together. We'd lived happily in peace ever since that fateful day. I'd suffered nightmares for a year following, but through support and counseling, I was living my best and happiest life. The kingdoms had made peace and I'd chosen to live in my paradise.

Emily bounced off to her room to find some art project she wanted to show me as Percy and I sat down on the couch. Percy lifted my feet onto his lap and rubbed them.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

"Pretty good. The construction is coming along as planned. I wasn't really needed, but they wanted me to stay in case any problems arose," I told him of my business trip to the new part of the town. Emily came back, curly black pigtails literally bouncing as she excitedly handed her painting to me.

I took it from her and smiled. In messy finger paint was a picture of me, Percy, and Emily, happily dancing in a meadow. I looked at my family sitting before me and sighed with contentment. After all that had happened, there was only one way to describe life. Perfect, just as it had always been meant to be.


End file.
